CONTAINMENT AND RECOVERY TECHNIQUES 

 FOR SPILLED OIL IN THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT 



Michael J. Donohoe 



INTRODUCTION 



Since the late 1960s, there has been an increased awareness, worldwide, 

 of the need to prevent spills, to control spills, and to remove discharged 

 oils from coastal and inland waters. With incidents such as those involving 

 the Torrey Canyon, Ocean Eagle, and the Santa Barbara Channel, the need for 

 more effective equipment and techniques for containment and recovery of such 

 discharges has become clearly obvious. This paper is not concerned with the 

 development of equipment and techniques to accomplish this task, but rather 

 with currently available containment/recovery hardware and appropriate techniques 

 for deployment. The paper also includes a review of design characteristics 

 useful in assessing equipment efficiency in local situations. 



CONTAINMENT 



The need for prompt and effective containment of spilled oil cannot be 

 overemphasized. The primary goal of a rapid response is a sharp reduction 

 in area contamination and a subsequent lessening of environmental damage. 

 Minimizing the response time involved in effectively containing a spill will 

 normally result in reduced recovery costs. 



The wind and the water surface current are two local environmental conditions 

 that must be considered when undertaking steps to contain spilled oil, because 

 separately, or in combination, the two factors have a dramatic effect on spill 

 movement. Failure to assess the movement of the oil slick could result in 

 the placement of containment measures behind the slick or too far away in 

 restricted waters, resulting in more extensive contamination or wasted time 

 in "searching" for the slick in more open areas. 



These two response inputs become increasingly important when coupled 

 with the type of water body in which a spill occurs. The difference in slick 

 movement on a shallow, slow-moving stream or creek should be readily obvious 

 when compared to a large river or open bay. Characteristics such as flow 

 rate, depth, accessibility, wave, wind, and tidal action all have an influence 

 and should be considered. 



Executive Officer 



Gulf Strike Team 



National Strike Force 



U.S. Coast Guard 



NSTL Station, Miss. 39529 



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