Data analyses on shoreline responses to two major US oil spills were analyzed to derive preliminary factors for estimating shoreline cleanup costs based on oiling degree, sediment type, labor and equipment requirements, and disposal costs. Per-unit area cost factors are calculated for marsh cleanup of a heavy fuel oil spill. Cleanup of heavily oiled areas cost an average of $lll/m2 for labor, equipment, and waste disposal, while lightly oiled areas cost an average of $5/m2. Worker-day requirements for cleanup of crude oil from a variety of sediment types from rocky to sand (by length) were calculated. Additional analyses are required to extrapolate equipment and disposal costs for development of sediment- and oiling-specific cost factors from this data. Further analyses on this and other spill response data are required to develop comprehensive shoreline response cost factors as part of the development of a methodology to estimate response costs for evaluating cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analyses.

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