Part 2

Project Identification and Prioritization

As described in Part 1 of this proceedings, Days 1 and 2 of the workshop used a series of in-person exercises to guide participants into identifying and prioritizing project ideas that would likely increase infrastructure resilience in the Gulf of Mexico region. Project brainstorming and prioritization was organized by scenario and by domain. This section offers observations and key takeaways that emerged during those exercise discussions. These are ideas that came up repeatedly across different small groups and more than one domain. These observations and key takeaways align with and elaborate on the key takeaways outlined in the Summary. They are summarized in Figure 2-1 and described in greater detail below the figure. The workshop participants are experts, but they were not asked to research, suggest, and vet detailed project ideas, so those ideas should not be taken as ready-to-use investments. As was stated throughout the workshop, the project ideas themselves were not as important to the value of the workshop as the role they served as a tool to show the processes by which participants conceived and weighed considerations for investment prioritization. More specific takeaways broken down by individual domain and individual exercise can be found in Appendix A. This section concludes by listing the projects that were prioritized highest for each domain, either because they garnered the most votes across all five macro-criteria or because they garnered an atypically high number of votes in a single macro-criterion. The full list of all 306 projects ideas identified during the workshop can be found in Appendix B.

OBSERVATIONS AND KEY TAKEAWAYS: HURRICANE SCENARIO

Necessity of Community Engagement

Engage Community Early in Decision-Making for Better Decisions and Stakeholder Buy-In

Understanding who the affected populations are and what their needs are is vital to building community and infrastructure resilience to hurricanes. Therefore, participants said, local leadership in decision-making, including response operations, must be increased. Health and housing projects in particular need to be sensitive to and prioritize the needs of traditionally underserved, highly vulnerable populations. Local leaders who can represent these needs must be involved in related decision-making. For any projects to be successful, project teams need buy-in and input from the local communities, who often hear of grand projects that are not implemented or who typically have seen the negative aspects of projects that have been implemented around them. Early and frequent engagement is critical to share information and elicit community inputs to project-related decision-making.

Education Campaigns are Needed for the Community and in Schools

Education is very important and often overlooked because physical-built projects get more attention, and the human side can be lost. Residents need to be made aware when new services or amenities are developed and how to use and access them, workshop participants said. The community needs more and updated education campaigns about what impacts to expect from disasters that may take place, what backup systems are in place to address them, and what actions they should take under various conditions. Communities need more education on flood maps and how that information applies to homes that may flood or roadways that are likely to be inaccessible. Communities and policy makers would benefit from education about what resilience is, why it is important, and how to achieve it. Some participants suggested development and incorporation of a disaster science curriculum for schools, possibly including disaster recovery training for youth.

The Call to Overcome Long-Standing Obstacles

Address basic survival, which is still at risk in the Gulf region and is a fundamental priority. Workshop participants said that priority must be placed on investments that restore basic needs to the population post-storm, emphasizing first that every individual has access to clean drinking water. Next, recovery efforts need to establish functioning wastewater systems, communications systems, and safe housing, meaning a return to pre-hurricane habitability (but see numerous examples in subsequent sections of how to improve the current conditions, rather than maintaining them). The power grid must get back up and running immediately to provide a return to stability and sense of normalcy, and access to fuel at retail stations must be restored. Even better, investments should focus on preventing these issues from happening in the first place.

Move Toward More Reliable Broadband Access

Ideally move to 5G networks, throughout the region, focusing on coastal communities that are repeatedly impacted by storms, as well as areas with high social vulnerability. Workshop

participants said that without reliable communications, access to critical post-storm functions, such as remote learning and online commerce, is compromised. People must be able to communicate with their close friends and family post-storm to promote a sense of calm. Investments should encourage and expedite this progress.

Improve Workers’ Safety and Security

Workshop participants said that improved technology, addressed further under The Need to Move into the Future section, is a major contributing factor to protecting workers. Using better sensors, we can get information to workers sooner regarding which roadways are flooded so that they can get to their jobs more safely. Adoption of “smart fuel tanks” will signal the need for repairs earlier, leading to less dangerous working conditions. Increasing the use of remote technologies to gather data and monitor for damage and debris will keep workers from having to enter high-risk zones to collect such information themselves. In addition to benefits for workers from technological improvements, putting more emphasis on getting people back into their homes post-disaster will support a faster, safer return to work by the affected population. It is even better if housing can be made more resilient through stronger building codes and building materials. Finally, providing special identification cards for workers who have to support a disaster response will facilitate their ability to do their jobs, facilitating their access to job sites within the impacted zones.

Focus on Prevention

Stop putting infrastructure in low-lying areas. Areas that storms will impact most frequently and severely are known, so people should stop building electricity and water infrastructure, chemical plants, and even oil tanks and refineries in these areas, workshop participants said. The capability to build elsewhere exists. Even if the initial investment is substantial, it is a worthwhile investment when considering the toll on society when these sites are damaged and/or inoperable. Also, much more research is needed into the future impacts of climate change and when new infrastructure is being designed and built, and that research should be taken into account, including where future impacts will occur.

Make Both Short-Term and Long-Term Infrastructure Investments that Improve upon Previous Conditions

Shorter-term projects with immediate results—usually related to hurricane response—are important even if the benefits to individuals are only marginal, as longer-term projects can take so long to have visible impact. Right now, communities need to see concrete successes, participants said. However, focus on the long term must be the priority. Projects should have positive long-term impacts on the well-being of communities and ecosystems. They should focus on prevention or avoidance of downstream harm and ultimately reduce the need for additional, response-oriented projects. Both short- and long-term projects must ensure, however, they are improving upon the conditions that caused the infrastructure to fail in the first place. They must create conditions that are healthier, safer, and more equitable, to drive resilience.

Conduct More Preplanning

There will always be a shortage of critical supplies during a response; therefore, it is critical to decide beforehand who gets priority access to them and to do so equitably. This

includes preplanning and communicating local and national priorities, so that national requirements for recovery, which local leaders may not even be aware of, do not derail response operations once they are underway. The latter has occurred, for example, when distributing fuel in the aftermath of past disasters. Pre-event prioritization of projects is also necessary to ensure prudent allocation of limited resources for investment after an emergency.

The Need to Move into the Future

Too many projects and programs are stuck in the past, focused on fixing or restoring outdated infrastructure designed for environments that have changed. These takeaways focus on enabling communities to meet future needs.

Adopt Wider and More Varied Use of Remote Sensors Across the Board

Adopt remote sensors, especially in underserved and underprivileged areas. Sensors increase situational awareness and provide more data to make better, faster decisions; they help protect workers; and they enable a faster, more efficient and effective response to adverse conditions. Remote sensors will be exposed to disaster conditions and many will get destroyed during storms, but that is understood as the price of doing business; it should be factored in during installation so that enough remain to get the job done, participants said. After Hurricane Ida, remote sensors provided a robust hazards warning system and enabled the reconstruction of events. Examples of sensors that are priorities to be used in greater numbers include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Flood sensor systems on roadways to indicate flooding and flash flooding
• Sensors on fuel tanks, or smart tanks, to indicate earlier when repairs are needed
• Remote sensors that enable measurement of disaster-related conditions such as water levels, wind speed, and debris, installed on electricity and communications infrastructure at key locations of interest
• Networks of staff gauges, which measure water levels, to augment wireless sensors and enable large-scale flood reporting
• Sensors on gas-powered electricity generators that monitor carbon monoxide emissions
• Sensor networks that monitor pipelines and spills, indicating, for example, near-surface pollutants at estuaries

Invest in Next-Generation Monitoring

This includes such things as remote sensing and autonomous technologies, in addition to the sensors described above, and also increased and better use of drones, LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), radar, and so forth. During Hurricane Harvey, for example, several areas with chemical spills were inaccessible, so samples could not be taken because of the human health risks. Autonomous technologies could fill these gaps.

Build Up Data and Analysis to Inform Better Decision-Making

Many datasets that can benefit preparedness, mitigation, and/or response exist in silos, are poorly socialized, or simply are not leveraged in decision-making or in communications with the public, workshop participants said. This problem is exacerbated by the numerous

jurisdictions (and authorities) involved in the Gulf region. Baseline data for detecting changes and impacts caused by hurricanes, sea level rise, and other hazards are needed. Participants said that key infrastructure system data should be mapped out, consolidated into a central repository, and made accessible to those who need it. And the nation must increase its understanding of the damage oil, gas, and petrochemical incidents cause.

Future Regulations and Incentives Need Careful Consideration and Constant Monitoring

Overreliance on the private sector to address adverse impacts related to a hurricane without incentivizing actions from the government may be misguided, participants said. Prudent use of both regulations and incentives—“sticks and carrots”—could be good for both industry and the public sector. Incentivization of private efforts can be precarious, though; government provision to private partners can result in modest or disappointing payoff. To avoid this pitfall, it is important to continually assess projects’ effectiveness and hold partners accountable; otherwise, this can become subsidizing nonlocal business with little or no benefit to the community.

OBSERVATIONS AND KEY TAKEAWAYS: PROTRACTED OIL SPILL SCENARIO

Necessity of Community Engagement

Engage Community Early in Decision-Making for Better Decisions and Stakeholder Buy-In

Workshop participants said that to be effective, projects must be led locally whenever possible, and anyone impacted by the project must be informed about it and invited to comment on it. Public understanding of project implementation must be encouraged by project teams explaining what is happening and how money is being spent. Research must be conducted to better understand the needs of socially vulnerable or traditionally underserved communities during and after disasters. If public services have to be cut after a disaster due to budget constraints, those cuts should be based on community input.

Effective Public Information Campaigns Are Needed to Combat Mis- and Disinformation and to Build Public Trust

The public must understand what is happening during a spill and its cleanup, including how to prepare for one, what actions to take if it does occur, and what happens to oil that has to be cleaned up, including its impacts on the environment. Workshop participants said that campaigns should focus on the local population, but also tourists and visitors. The campaign should encourage revenue-generating activities that contribute to community and business resilience in the wake of a spill, such as tourism and seafood consumption, if safe to do so. To build and maintain trust with the public, all levels of government must communicate faster and with greater detail and clarity on these issues.

Enhance the Relationship Between the Government and the Media

Workshop participants said that the government and its partners must enhance their relationships with the media and share more information. Coordinated information campaigns should be developed, including the development of trusted information sources and identification

of trusted community messengers. Progress on cleanup efforts should be shared through social media and other channels, demonstrating to the public that concrete actions have been taken and progress is being made.

The Call to Overcome Long-standing Obstacles

Improve or Expand the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund for Cleanup

Conditions for drawing on the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund should be revisited, updated, and set in advance, including identifying practical triggers to access the funds, workshop participants said. It should be administered by a third party, such as a committee, nonprofit, or academic institute, through a trust. Its management must be transparent and nimble. Further, this fund can run out during a catastrophic spill, so a comprehensive program with alternative funding sources must be established as well, such as grants, revolving funds, and low-interest loans—it should be a diverse portfolio. Finally, the improved fund is vital, but it should be treated as a stopgap measure that is used if the responsible party goes bankrupt and cannot meet all obligations.

Focus on Prevention

Remove aging and abandoned infrastructure, such as the 18,000 miles of unused pipelines, to reduce risk and prevent future environmental degradation and pollution. Also, areas vulnerable to submarine landslides or other accidents are known and should not be auctioned off for offshore drilling. Additionally, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s leasing standards and requirements should include provisions that would ban the abandonment of offshore infrastructure and make the organization responsible for its assets’ maintenance from cradle to grave, workshop participants said.

Conduct More Coordination Up Front

Given the multiple stakeholders involved in oil spill detection and response, prioritize projects that improve coordination, collaboration, and information sharing among the relevant parties and with the public. Hold more exercises with state or local officials in charge. Involve industry early in the process to promote transparency and trust. Increase training with all the relevant stakeholders about oil spills. Create a dedicated budget for these coordination efforts, workshop participants said.

The Need to Move into the Future

Improve Monitoring Capabilities

Workshop participants said that the nation needs to develop new methods, probably through sensor technology, to monitor the network of pipelines. Deploy sensors to detect oil and to report on chemical composition of contaminants to inform response and recovery efforts. Monitor aging and abandoned infrastructure. Add sensors to pipelines to detect microfractures, and to speed repair efforts.

Invest in R&D to Continuously Improve Technology

R&D investments must be made in technologies that would prevent and better contain spills, workshop participants said. This includes new oil spill barrier designs; new methods for skimming; product design for environmentally friendly surfactants and dissolvents; methods for burying flow lines, pipelines, and fiberoptic cables; and improved rock dumping or similar protective actions for flow lines.

Build Up Baseline Data

A much better understanding of baseline data in the Gulf of Mexico, including health and economic data particularly among socially vulnerable populations, is needed to understand the impacts of a spill and to track and monitor the progress of projects designed to address them. Workshop participants said that studies should focus on current or natural environmental conditions, which are lacking and prevent assessment of an oil spill’s impact on the environment and how protracted oil spills might or might not affect the environment. Specific attention should be paid to direct impacts from protracted oil spills to beaches and aquatic environments near shore, marine ecosystem impacts of slow-release oil spills in areas that already have natural oil seepage, and impacts on health and human safety from cleanup operations. Community members and local organizations should be empowered to use techniques such as crowdsourcing and geotagging to support data collection.

Bolster Data and Information Collected Through Forward-Looking Research

Workshop participants said that the research should include long-term epidemiology studies to understand impacts on human health; more research into modeling seismic activity to predict where landslides may occur; assessments of the potential impacts of landslides on wells to determine which are most at risk and need additional reinforcement to prevent leaks; and an ability to determine, with greater accuracy and more authority, information about a spill, such as the volume and impact of the spill, in ways that cannot be challenged by competing interests.

Smarter Regulation of the Petroleum Industry with Better Enforcement Is Key to a Resilient Gulf

Workshop participants said that attention and investments should support and implement smarter regulation, from stricter permitting—which should include requirements for recovery plans, better monitoring, and funds set aside for cleanup—to stronger government enforcement authorities and expertise to compel the responsible party to clean up in a timely manner. Oversight of legacy and abandoned infrastructure is another key item to address through stricter permitting. The cost of maintaining and servicing aging petroleum infrastructure is a real challenge and a reason some owners walk away from it, resulting in ongoing public liabilities. Corporations must be held responsible for environmental degradation and societal harm resulting from accidents of all scales. The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement needs more enforcement authority. The U.S. Coast Guard has more authority, but does not have oversight of subsea infrastructure. Legal changes are necessary to allow for better enforcement of regulations.

HIGH-PRIORITY PROJECT AND INVESTMENT IDEAS

As discussed previously, the Prevention and Preparedness Exercise conducted on Days 1 and 2 of the workshop focused on brainstorming project ideas that would increase infrastructure resilience in the Gulf region. The Prioritization Exercise focused on prioritizing those projects. Table 2-1 provides the set of project ideas for each domain that were prioritized highest across both scenarios by the participants. This means they either received the most votes across all five macro-criteria—Environment, Economy, Society, Resilience, and Project Governance—or they received an atypically high number of votes in a single macro-criterion. Note that these are sample project ideas identified by this one particular group of expert stakeholders. As noted previously, the workshop participants were not asked to research, suggest, and vet detailed project ideas, so those ideas should not be taken as ready-to-use investments, nor should they be construed as a definitive list of projects to be implemented, but rather as a starting point for further thought. The complete list of all 306 project ideas brainstormed during this workshop can be found in Appendix B.

TABLE 2-1 High-Priority Projects across Both the Hurricane and Protracted Oil Spill Scenarios

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