Spills of Diluted Bitumen from Pipelines A Comparative Study of Environmental Fate, Effects, and Response (2016) / Chapter Skim
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7 Recommendations
7 Recommendations
Pages 113-124
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From page 113... ...
The submergence of persistent residues of diluted bitumen in aquatic environments, as was seen in the Marshall, MI spill, and the potential for long-term deposition in sediments and banks and remobilization in the water column present environmental concerns and cleanup challenges not presented by commonly transported crude oils. These challenges necessitate different response strategies, including immediate efforts to recover spilled diluted bitumen before significant weathering occurs and effective methods to identify, contain, and recover suspended and sunken oil.
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From page 114... ...
Part 194 regulations and in part a shortcoming of the broader interagency contingency planning and response system. A more comprehensive and focused approach to diluted bitumen across the federal oil spill response family is necessary to improve preparedness for spills of diluted bitumen and to enable more effective cleanup and mitigation measures when these spills occur.
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From page 115... ...
These recommended changes in the Part 194 regulations would take important steps to ensure that spill response plans recognize the differences between diluted bitumen and commonly transported oils and that pipeline operators and agency responders have the special expertise, capabilities, and cleanup tools necessary for effective responses to spills of diluted bitumen. Critical to effective planning and response is determining whether a pipeline segment is expected to transport diluted bitumen and, if so, identifying its cleanup-relevant properties (e.g., density, adhesion, viscosity, and biodegradability)
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From page 116... ...
Finally, while the identification of diluted bitumen and other crudes by industry-standard names should be sufficient in the response plan and SDS, more detailed compositional information will likely be needed when a spill occurs, both to guide the emergency response as well as over the longer term to support forensic chemistry evaluations and site remediation. Given that compositions of oils carried in pipelines typically vary over time, and in the case of diluted bitumen the diluent may be particularly variable, there should be an expedited procedure for characterizing the specific composition of spilled crude oil after a spill.
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From page 117... ...
Detection of diluted bitumen spills on the bottom may pose different challenges than for conventional nonfloating crude oils because the diluted bitumen can occur as oil-particle aggregates that require different detection methods than those used to detect bulk crude oil on the bottom. In situations where water is moving, there are no proven techniques for containment of suspended or sunken crude oil to prevent remobilization and spreading prior to recovery.
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From page 118... ...
In addition, a common nomenclature system will have benefits for spills of other crude oils as well. This system of product names, which would be incorporated in response plans under Recommendation 1, should be developed through a collaborative process among PHMSA, USEPA, USCG, and state and local agencies and then be adopted by all agencies.
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From page 119... ...
The NOAA Office of Response and Restoration, which developed and maintains ADIOS, has a mandate to support oil spill response, whereas other agencies do not have the base funding to do the same kind of work. This oil spill response tool models how different types of oil weather in the marine environment.
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From page 120... ...
The committee's understanding is that plan exercises, which are critical to evaluate plan adequacy and responder preparedness, have devoted little if any attention to diluted bitumen spills. USEPA, USCG, and PHMSA together with state and local partners should work together to ensure that announced and unannounced exercises include diluted bitumen spill scenarios so that agencies and pipeline operators can obtain feedback and experience regarding the adequacy of plans for these spills and improve response capabilities.
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From page 121... ...
Because of their importance to spill planners and responders, a concerted effort to fill these knowledge gaps with additional research is essential. Further research is needed to better understand the behavior of diluted bitumen in the environment, including consideration of the diversity of environmental settings in which spills could occur, the chemical constituents and their toxicological effects, as well as to develop more effective methods for detection and recovery of spilled diluted bitumen, particularly after it becomes submerged or sunken in water bodies.
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From page 122... ...
Scientists from outside the formal response framework are typically not included in the formal oil spill response activities and, as a result, are often barred from site access by response officials, and their requests for source materials are denied. This situation hinders fundamental research on spill events -- research that should ultimately benefit spill planning -- and may also provide immediate benefit to response officials.
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From page 123... ...
It is difficult to be completely prepared for a potential spill of diluted bitumen because our experience is limited to just a few significant spills, the products involved can vary in chemical composition, and the environmental settings where spills could occur are extremely diverse. Nonetheless, the recommendations put forward are designed to improve current oil spill planning and response to reduce negative impacts on human health and the environment.
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