The week of August 4, 2014, the annual Pacific Northwest Oil Spill Control Course (PNWOSCC) took place in Port Angeles, WA. PNWOSCC is a blend of classroom training and practical hands-on exercises in the methods of controlling, containing, and cleaning up oil spills on water and on shore.

Among many other educational exercises, students deployed boom in practicing a Geographic Response Plan for Ediz Hook (in Port Angeles), toured a Washington State Department of Ecology Oil Spill Response Trailer, and got underway on the Marine Spill Response Cooperation's 210 foot response vessel "Park Responder".

West Coast Regional Response Officer LTJG Alice Drury taught about what NOAA's role is in spill response, oil properties and physical processes, chemical dispersants and SMART monitoring, and gave an in the field introductory demonstration of what SCAT is and why it is done.

It was a great group of students with a wide range of backgrounds, spill experience and response responsibilities. Students came from state agencies, U.S. Coast Guard, Navy, Industry, and Oil Spill Response Organizations (OSROs), including cross-border participation with Canadian OSROs from British Columbia.

For further information, contact Alice.Drury@noaa.gov.

Go back to OR&R Weekly Report.