MAY 23, 2014 -- OR&R's Emergency Response Division and the Environmental Protection Agency's Emergency Response and Removal Branch collaborated to develop a new inland Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT) training course for oil spill responders.

This was the first training focusing this technique specifically on inland waters, shorelines, and habitats and was held in Atlanta, Georgia, May 13-15, 2014. In addition to NOAA, attendees included 25 responders from EPA, U.S. Coast Guard, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Georgia. The course focused on training field-level responders to become members of SCAT teams during oil spills and consisted of both classroom lectures and field exercises. 

During an oil spill, SCAT teams deploy to the scene of the spill to conduct surveys of shorelines affected by oil. They apply standard and systematic techniques taught in this training to describe oiling conditions and develop recommendations for cleanup priorities, methods, and endpoints. These recommendations are used to inform decisions to remove oil and clean the affected shorelines in the most environmentally advantageous manner.

For more information, contact Bradford Benggio.

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