Evaluation of the Use of Chemical Dispersants in Oil Spill Response
AUGUST 18, 2017--On August 7 - 8, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine – Committee on Evaluation of the Use of Chemical Dispersants in Oil Spill Response – sponsored an open meeting in Washington, D.C. to gather information on modeling the fate and transport of oil and dispersed oil during oil spills.
Christopher Barker (Oceanographer) and William Lehr (Senior Scientist) from OR&R’s Emergency Response Division were invited to present on operational fate and transport modeling in support of response to oil spills.
The meeting convened researchers from government, industry, and academia. Participants had broad expertise, including oil and gas operations, oceanography, oil chemistry, microbiology, and high-pressure process dynamics.
The Committee on Evaluation of the Use of Chemical Dispersants in Oil Spill Response has been tasked with assessing the effects and efficacy of dispersants as an oil spill response tool, and evaluating trade-offs associated with dispersant use, in part through use or review of net environmental benefit analyses conducted for past oil spills.
Major objectives and discussion during this workshop focused on modeling of oil spill fate, effects, transport and impacts, and the effect of the application of dispersants to these processes.
Details of the committee's goals and membership can be found at: Evaluation of the Use of Chemical Dispersants in Oil Spill Response at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine web site.
For further information, contact Chris.Barker@noaa.gov.