ABSTRACT
Contemporary Oil Spill Contingency Planning commonly focuses on notification procedures and organizational issues. Specific pre-planning for the physical response to specific oil properties, local geography, and environmental conditions is frequently neglected. The tactical action planning concepts presented in this paper address these issues by carefully examining the characteristics of specific oils under the spectrum of ambient conditions, the physical properties of the potentially impacted area, probable spill movement, and the presence of sensitive resources. These concepts also address the availability of response equipment and those techniques that will perform under the conditions encountered. Field surveys are then conducted to identify and catalogue specific control sites where initial response actions may be appropriate. Surveys include taking digital photographs of the area and collecting GPS coordinates of response locations. The resultant plans will facilitate the initial response to releases anywhere along the subject pipeline. Data and recommendations are organized in the form of a hard-copy manual consisting of maps, tables, and illustrated instructions. Data files, interactive mapping software, and data management software are also provided on CD. A software component allows the planning effort to be used during drills and exercises, as well as for emergency response management.
