The Colonial Pipeline spill: A case study

Abstract

The response to the Colonial Pipeline spill in Fairfax County, Virginia, provided an opportunity to apply the emergency response concepts of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. Protection of human health and the environment was the paramount goal of the response. This goal was successfully achieved through the establishment of a unified command system to coordinate federal, state, and local interests and activities. The major operational objectives of the response were to secure the source of the spill, limit its migration through the use of containment boom, and recover spilled oil by using skimmers and other mechanical means. For the most part, these operational objectives were achieved in an efficient manner. However, some difficulties were encountered due to the inaccessibility of the major recovery area, debris-clogged skimers, and insufficient supply of on-scene response resources. Such problems were addressed through the use of additional federal resources and innovative response principles, such as the construction of a temporary pipeline to transport recovered oil. Agencies involved in the rsponse noted strengths and weaknesses in the areas of logistics, notification, communication, resource availability, and response actions and highlighted areas for inprovement. The review and future inplimentation of such lessons learned can enhance the level of preparedness for spills of a similar nature.