poorly timed execution of response efforts, unnecessary response induced 

 damage, or incorrect assessment of impact. 



The methodology for carrying out the damage assessments must be 

 thoroughly documented and defended. 



One should also expect that the spiller will have a first-class team in 

 the field to verify what is happening and to protect and defend his position. 

 If a bill were sent to a spiller for $5 million in cleanup costs, $5 million 

 in third party costs, and $20 million in environmental damage relating to a 

 spill, would one expect otherwise? He would be foolish not to initiate such a 

 technical response. 



TAMU PROGRAMS 



At Texas A&M, a need to develop a program to support spill control 

 activities has been identified. It is worthwhile to create and maintain an 

 academic knowledge base in this area and to use it in our roles of teaching, 

 public service, and research. The core program is called the Oil Spill 

 Technical Assistance Program. It is housed at the engineering research arm 

 of the Texas Engineering Experiment Station. The station's legislative 

 charge as a State agency is to aid both government and industry. This will 

 be a dual role in the future. Related components involve graduate academic 

 training in the Environmental /Civil Engineering Department and applied 

 training at the Texas Engineering Extension Service Oil Spill Training 

 School. To support this program, a prototype field response capability is 

 being built for use both for actual technical responses and a graduate 

 training laboratory. Participation on a contract basis at spills is con- 

 tinually upgrading both the logistics base and analytical capability. The 

 objectives of the overall program are: 



1. to determine how to carry out fast, efficient, and economical 

 response and cleanup of oil spills under a wide variety of 

 circumstances; 



2. to develop and present training activities for U.S. and inter- 

 national audiences to aid the participants in planning and 

 executing fast, efficient, and economical response and cleanup; 



3. to provide technical assistance to individuals and groups who 

 need help in preparing to deal with spills or in responding 

 to actual spills. 



In carrying out these objectives, the Environmental Engineering Division 

 has developed a 1-week international training course which is currently 

 being presented throughout the world on a contract basis for the Intergovern- 

 mental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO) and United Nations Environ- 

 ment Program (UNEP) programs of the United Nations and for individual coun- 

 tries. An expanded version of this course is being taught as a graduate 



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