The Alaska Clean Seas Technical Manual

Abstract

ABSTRACT Alaska Clean Seas (ACS), the oil industry spill response cooperative on Alaska's North Slope, has prepared a new core response plan to give ACS operations staff the tactical information they need during a spill response and to allow ACS members to prepare streamlined response plans for facilities. The project grew from the work of the joint agency/industry North Slope Spill Response Project Team, which re-evaluated North Slope response capability. The ACS Technical Manual allows operators to concentrate on spill prevention and overall response strategies. The manual is innovative in that it is based primarily on the operational needs of the responder rather than regulatory demands—although it addresses the regulations, too. Volume 1, Tactics Descriptions, is the heart of the plan and was prepared primarily by ACS operations personnel. These tactics provide building blocks for facility scenarios and contain diagrams; descriptions; equipment, personnel, and support requirements; and operational considerations. Text is minimal in the tactics descriptions, which comprise mainly graphics and tables. The tactics cover safety, containment, recovery/storage, tracking/surveillance, burning, shoreline cleanup, wildlife, disposal, logistics/equipment, and administration. The manual's other volumes provide a facility and environmental map atlas and an Incident Management System manual.