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OR&R Participates in U.S. Pacific Command-Sponsored Oceania Oil Spill Response Workshop

JUNE 30, 2017—During the week of June 26, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division participated in an Oceania Oil Spill Response Workshop sponsored by U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM) in Honolulu, HI, for representatives from the countries of Fiji, Tuvalu, Nauru, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, Kiribati, and Vanuatu.

The purpose of the week-long workshop was to enhance regional oil spill response capacity in Oceania, to share equipment capability among regional stakeholders, to promote communication on oil spill response readiness, to share lessons-learned and best practices from recent oil spill response efforts around the world, and to increase collaborative response efforts to protect natural resources and the environment.

The countries within the Oceania region lack the necessary resources and expertise to adequately combat oil spills within their territorial waters. The workshop was part of an effort to help participating countries become better prepared for such regional contingencies. The workshop included a visit to a US Navy Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV) oil spill equipment deployment exercise, as well as other response organizations and facilities in Oahu. OR&R presented information on NOAA’s role in spill response and NOAA’s response tools during a classroom portion of the workshop.

For more information, contact Ruth.Yender@noaa.gov.

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Group stands looking at a wall of names.
Pacific island nation attendees to oil spill workshop visit the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial and look at names of soldiers who lost their lives when Pearl Harbor was attacked. Image credit: NOAA.
Last updated Tuesday, November 8, 2022 1:51pm PST