OR&R's Emergency Response Division (ERD) recently conducted a five day Science of Oil Spills (SOS) class from November 17-21, 2014 in Norfolk, Virginia.

Science of Oil Spills classes help spill responders increase their understanding of oil spill science when analyzing spills and making risk-based decisions. They are designed for new and mid-level spill responders. The course focuses on oil spills that occur in coastal and marine environments.

This course covered fate and behavior of oil spilled in the environment; an introduction to oil chemistry and toxicity; a review of basic spill response options for open water and shorelines; spill case studies; principles of ecological risk assessment; a field trip to Rudee Inlet, Virginia Beach; an introduction to natural resource damage assessment techniques; and determining cleanup endpoints.

The majority of the 37 students who attended the class were from the U.S. Coast Guard but other students also represented other federal and state governmental agencies, industry, and non-governmental organizations.

The OR&R course instructors included Stephanie Kavanaugh, Glen Watabyashi, Ed Levine, Gary Shigenaka, Alan Mearns, Robert Jones, and Frank Csulak. In addition, several guest instructors gave presentations on a wide variety of oil spill-related topics, and included the following people:

• David Albers (NOAA, Monitor National Marine Sanctuary, Superintendent)
• LCDR Denise Gruccio (NOAA, Office of Coast Survey, Mid-Atlantic Navigation Manager)
• Jonathan McGee (NOAA, National Weather Service, Incident Meteorologist)
• David Ormes (U.S. Coast Guard District 5, Chief of Contingency Planning)
• Sara Tegtmeir (Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research, Oil Programs Manager)
• Ann Hayward Walker (SEA Consulting Group, President)
• Margaret Lynott (Virginia Aquarium, Stranding Response Manager)

ERD has set the dates for the next SOS class, which will be held at NOAA's Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center in Mobile, Alabama, during the week of February 23-27, 2015.

For more information, contact Frank Csulak.

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