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that breaking waves, or whitecaps, mix the oil into the water column faster. This 

 does not necessarily speed up the biodegradation process. In fact, when the storm 

 subsides, much of the oil that was mixed may return to the surface. It may take 

 years for the natural process to entirely cope with an oil spill. Even with our best 

 efforts, impacted areas often take a long time to recover. 



Question 14- How does our current ability to deal with an oil spill resulting from a 

 U.S. OCS blowout relate to the U.S. record of blowouts over the past ten years? 



Answer. Our current offshore response capability was discussed at length during 

 Captain Corbett's testimony. Our projected offshore capability includes the acquisi- 

 tion of 26 mechanical recovery systems by the fall of 1981. Based on industry's 

 capabilities in addition to ours, we feel the response posture for spills resulting from 

 OCS blowouts will be rather good in 1981. We must keep in mind, however, that 

 Coast Guard resources are used for vessel, pipeline, and other source mishaps as 

 well as for OCS activities. Our emphasis for OCS activities is to see that the 

 industry itself develops the capability to respond. 



Question 15. On March 17, 1977, the President sent a message to Congress request- 

 ing that legislation be passed in order that we will be able to contain an oil spill by 

 achieving a response time of six hours, and to handle a spill of 100,000 tons. This 

 request was in response to the Argo Merchant breakup — a tanker containing refined 

 products. How does this request relate to OCS blowouts, as compared to the more 

 frequent and dangerous tanker spills? 



Answer. The goal which the President set for the Coast Guard in his message of 

 17 March 1977 has been used as a planning factor in the development of Coast 

 Guard open water response. Proposed industry response requirements for spills 

 related to OCS activity were considered in an effort to be consistent with the 

 response goal mentioned in the President's message. 



At the time of the President's message on reducing pollution of the ocean we had 

 no equipment which would permit the recovery of oil in seas greater than 5 feet 

 regardless of the source. Since that time, we have modified devices for oil recovery 

 at sea and developed techniques that would permit us to deploy these devices in up 

 to approximately 10-foot seas. Regardless of whether the source of a discharge on 

 open water is a tanker or an OCS blowout, the response effort would most likely 

 involve the same equipment and techniques. 



Question 16. During questioning. Captain Corbett stated that, "the main thrust of 

 our activities on the OCS is not to provide Coast Guard equipment, but to insist . . . 

 to insist that operators have the contingency plans, operating procedures, the equip- 

 ment to fully respond within six hours to an oil spill on the OCS". 



When was this policy instituted, and what has industry's response to that policy 

 been? 



Answer. The USGS requires planning for pollution prevention and control in 

 their OCS Orders Governing Oil and Gas Lease Operations. These Orders were 

 extensively revised in 1979. The recent revisions reflect the Outer Continental Shelf 

 Lands Act Amendments of 1978 and contain requirements for the development of 

 Oil Spill Contingency Plans. More specific equipment and operational guidelines 

 were developed and transmitted by the Coast Guard for the consideration of the 

 USGS Area Oil and Gas Supervisor, Region I, in March, 1980. These guidelines will 

 be used in the review of oil spill Contingency Plans for Georges Bank. 



Question 17. Could you please give an update on the state-of-the-art in oil spill 

 skimmer technology? Is the Coast Guard's skimming barrier considered to be "state- 

 of-the-art" and would it be required in an industry contingency plan? 



Answer. As stated in Captain Corbett's opening remarks, the state-of-the-art for 

 mechanical oil recovery seems to be operations in 8 to 10 foot seas and 20 knot 

 winds. The skimming barrier in the Coast Guard's inventory has operated in these 

 conditions. This specific device is not required in an OCS operator's equipment 

 inventory. A device with comparable performance characteristics would be required. 



Question 18. If a large-scale oil spill occurred near Port Angeles, Washington, 

 what would be the probable Coast Guard response in terms of time, equipment and 

 other Coast Guard resources? 



Answer. A large-scale oil spill occurring near Port Angeles would probably re- 

 quire response by the Pacific Strike Team located at Hamilton AFB near San 

 Francisco, California. We estimate it would take 4-5 hours after a request is made 

 to have an aircraft fully loaded enroute to the nearest Port Angeles airport with a 

 three hour flight time. This response would depend upon the availability of aircraft 

 and weather conditions permitting flying. Containment and recovery operations 

 would commence as soon as suitable vehicles and support vessels capable of trans- 

 porting, deploying and operating the response equipment are made available and 

 the transport executed. 



