OR&R Participates in Response Exercise with Bad River Reservation

JULY 29, 2024 — On July 23, approximately 70 emergency responders across the Western Lake Superior region gathered on the Bad River Reservation near Ashland, Wisconsin for a functional response exercise based on a simulated pipeline release into the Bad River. The Unified Command (UC) for the exercise convened and talked through the initial response. Responders met in the field, checked in, and deployed oil boom to contain the simulated spill.

Yellow collection boom are deployed on a murky river by trainees during a simulated spill exercise.
Collection boom deployment on the Bad River with a grooved drum skimmer in low flow conditions. Image credit: NOAA.

The exercise was hosted by the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa; was facilitated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Federal On-Scene Coordinator (FOSC); and attended by a number of state, tribal, and federal agencies: U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Marine Safety Unit Duluth; Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration; U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service; U.S. Geological Survey (USGS); Bureau of Indian Affairs; Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; state and county emergency managers; Wisconsin State Patrol; Ashland County Sheriff; pipeline and energy company, Enbridge; and emergency response company, The Response Group.

The NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator and USGS provided scientific insight to the Unified Command regarding booming strategies in the Bad River, impacts to the river bank, and treatment options. All Unified Command members later gathered to observe the deployed boom and the local Incident Command Post at the Bad River Powwow Grounds.

Last updated Friday, July 26, 2024 2:08pm PDT