LOGISTIC PLANNING FOR OIL SPILL CHEMICAL USE

Abstract

ABSTRACT The use of chemical agents in oil spill cleanup should be rapid, but not haphazard. As with mechanical measures, both proper equipment and trained personnel must be available in order to employ chemicals most efficiently. This paper reviews those subjects which are particularly important to successful chemical applications, and which must be carefully considered in contingency planning. These are chemical types and their modes of action, design and operation of the equipment required, regulation of chemical dose per unit area, and the limitations (to both boats and aircraft) of a distant operations base. Various kinds of oil spill control chemicals are likely to be used during a spill incident. Therefore, planning must also provide for flexibility in application equipment design in order to obtain the maximum service per unit. The design and construction of a portable chemical spraying system (which can be used on work boats, tugs, or other vessels of opportunity) is discussed. The adequacy of aerial spray systems is also examined in terms of required pump rates, chemical and equipment load, nozzle types and capacity, spraying time on-site, and volume of chemical delivered. It is shown that small aircraft are only useful near shore, and that (as the spill area increases) several large airplanes will be required.