Oil Spill Response Planning Aided by New Calculators.
August 17, 2016

STERLING, Va.– The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) announced the release of four new oil spill response calculators today as part of an ongoing effort to improve future clean-up efforts. According to John Caplis, an oil spill response coordinator for the bureau, the use of the calculators is viewed by BSEE as a “best practice” and their use will be strongly encouraged when operators prepare oil spill response plans for offshore facilities. Caplis explained that the new calculators focus on methods to identify optimum system arrangements for three oil spill clean-up approaches: mechanical recovery equipment, dispersants, and in situ burn. The calculators allow spill responders to better assess the oil removal capabilities of different equipment, and assist them in selecting the most effective approaches for responding to the potential spill scenarios contained within a response plan. “Use of the response planning calculators translates into better preparedness by industry. Ultimately their use should result in more effective responses to spills,” Caplis stated, “and an overall benefit to the environment by improved mitigation of the impacts of oil spills, should they occur.”.