The "rope" system has greater versatility because it can be deployed from 

 land or from a vessel. Further, the placement of a floating shelf in the 

 water allows the rope to pass through areas that could be inaccessible or 

 areas with high concentrations of oil. Also the "rope" can operate in shallow 

 water and in areas with small amounts of debris with little loss of recovery 

 efficiency. The floating rope will have a tendency to lose efficiency 

 if it is dragged over large debris because the debris acts like a scraper 

 and removes recovered oil. 



The techniques normally used in connection with the operation of skimming 

 equipment are specifically limited to skimmer capability and the quantity 

 of oil. The main guideline is positioning of the equipment to maximize rapid 

 recovery. This is accomplished by placing the skimmer in a high concentration 

 of spilled product and by moving the oil to this area. For self-propelled 

 skimmers, the rule remains constant: start in areas of high concentration 

 first, and then move the skimmer to other areas. 



SUMMARY 



The containment and recovery of oil discharges through the use of com- 

 mercially available equipment has resulted in a more timely and efficient 

 response to spill incidents. Appropriate materials or devices are available 

 for use in local conditions throughout the United States. Knowledge of specific 

 equipment limitations and appropriate techniques will result in overall mini- 

 mization of adverse environmental damage as a result of a spill incident. 

 The fact that one must be prepared to act rapidly, evaluating and programming 

 responses prior to real incidents, is without doubt the most important "technique" 

 for the containment and recovery of oil spills in the marine environment. 



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