SHORELINE RESPONSE - A PARADIGM SHIFT

Abstract

From time to time an event or a series of events can produce a change in strategic thinking or operating practices. One outcome of the Deepwater Horizon response was to learn from the process by which the shoreline response program was developed while the majority of planning and operational effort was directed towards the multi-faceted and intensive on-water program to recover or eliminate oil on the water before it could reach the coastal zone to minimize the impacts of the spill. This emphasis is typical of most marine and coastal spill response operations even though the duration of on-water operations may be a few days or weeks, whereas the onshore phase typically extends over weeks, months, or even years. The chronic nature of the Deepwater Horizon spill resulted in the on-water phase lasting for several months so that resources that typically would have transferred over to shoreline operations within a short time frame (days to a few weeks) remained committed to offshore and nearshore operation well into the summer of 2010.Shoreline cleanup is arguably the most intensely scrutinized and potentially expensive, in terms of time and effort, part of any response. Pre-planning shoreline cleanup in detail can be very challenging. Notwithstanding the types and volumes of oil, primary factors affecting shoreline cleanup strategy include potential oil pathways, shore types, seasonal coastal ecosystem and individual resource sensitivities, stakeholder involvements, and tactical cleanup options and restrictions. Few organizations have dedicated resources for shoreline cleanup: these must be identified and mobilized for a specific scenario (shore type, oil character, volume, etc.). However, a readiness to respond rapidly and expertly to oil on shore is critical as cleanup actions typically are most effective and efficient immediately following deposition, before oil is remobilized, buried or weathers to a state more difficult to clean.These preplanning challenges often mean that crucial details in a shoreline response plan are developed while oil is heading towards or even is onshore. The development of a Shoreline Response Program (SRP) addresses these challenges. The model SRP is a paradigm shift in the sense that it represents a change in some basic assumptions for spill response planning and first-phase response operations related to shorelines.