SCAT - The Evolution of a Response Tool from the “Nestucca” to the Deep Water Horizon-Macondo

Abstract

• Original concept developed on the Nestucca response in Canada involved a multi-agency team that represented the interested parties to evaluate treatment options and inspect those beaches where cleanup had been completed. •This concept was adapted for the 1989 Exxon Valdez response, although interagency teams were only established in 1990 after the initial first phase SCAT program that documented the shoreline oiling. •During the 1990’s, three agencies (Environment Canada, NOAA in the USA, and the European Commission) produced second-generation versions of SCAT forms based on those that were developed during the Exxon Valdez response. •The outcome of this first phase was the creation of an internationallyaccepted procedure for the surveying, documentation and description of oiled shorelines based on standard terms and definitions.