Post-Deepwater Horizon Dispersant Use Planning in Hawaii with a Focus on Science-based Stakeholder Participation and Endangered Species Act Section 7 Consultation.

Abstract

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and US Coast Guard (USCG) recognize that use of dispersants is a viable option in conjunction with, or in lieu of, mechanical or other types of recovery. Working with the USCG, EPA initiated two projects in Hawai'i in support of a recently-revised Hawai'i Dispersant Use Plan (the Plan) that addresses the pre-authorized use of dispersants in marine waters offshore of Hawaii. A process to evaluate a response option must balance the restoration of maritime commerce and the minimization of environmental damage of an oil spill with the imperative to (1) remove the maximum amount of oil from the environment (2) as rapidly as possible while (3) producing the minimum environmental collateral damage. The “big tent” approach of Net Environmental Benefit Analysis (NEBA), bringing in subject matter experts (SMEs) and stakeholders from various interest groups, i.e., marine industry, environmentalists, oil spill response organizations (OSROs), historic specialists, Native Hawai'i cultural specialists, economic specialists, etc., is critical to getting stakeholder buy in and insuring a proper, scientific rigorous approach to evaluating these critical technologies for use. The process used here for creating and evaluating the Plan by utilizing a NEBA in support of a Biological Evaluation for the Endangered Species Act, Section 7 Consultation, is an efficient and proper way to evaluate dispersants and other “hot button” response technologies for use in an oil spill impacted environment.