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The OSRR program is responsive to the information and technological needs of MMS’s regional and district offices and to specific requirements and limitations in the MMS authority. Information derived from the OSRR program is directly integrated into MMS’s offshore operations and is used to make regulatory decisions pertaining to permitting and approving plans, safety and pollution inspections, enforcement actions, and training requirements. Conducting an effective OSRR program means that the best available response technologies are identified, developed and made available to combat any spills that may occur. Response technologies identified by the OSRR program focus on preventing offshore operational spills reaching sensitive coastal environments and habitats. The MMS OSRR program is an openly-cooperative effort bringing together funding and expertise from research partners in government agencies, industry, and the international community for the sole purpose of participating in research and development (R&D) projects. Many of these projects are Joint Industry Projects, where MMS partners with other stakeholders to maximize research dollars. MMS has cooperated in the exchange of technological information with Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Norway and the United Kingdom through informal contacts, workshops, and technical meetings such as the International Oil Spill Conference. Most procurements of R&D projects are competitive. Requests for White Papers and proposals are prepared by the MMS OSRR program staff and published in a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) that is published in FedBizOps. Contractors are selected by MMS based on responsiveness to MMS requirements, technical quality, and estimated costs of the proposed work. MMS disseminates the results of R&D projects as widely as possible in publications through appropriate scientific and technical journals, technical reports, and public information documents. The intent is to make this information widely available to oil spill response personnel and organizations world wide. Funding for the OSRR program and operation of Ohmsett – The National Oil Spill Response Test Facility are appropriated from the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (OSLTF). The OSLTF received funds from a $0.05 tax on each barrel of oil produced or imported into or out of the United States. This tax was suspended when the fund reached $1 billion dollars. Currently funds for the OSLTF are derived from interest on the fund, cost recovery from responsible parties, and penalties. The tax can be re-implemented if the fund falls below the billion dollar level. As intended by the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, potential polluters, companies that produce and transport oil are supporting research to improve oil spill response capabilities. Current OSRR projects cover a wide spectrum of oil spill response issues and include laboratory, meso-scale and full-scale field experiments. Major topic areas include:
For more information on MMS Oil Spill Response Research (OSRR) Program, contact Joseph Mullin at 703-787-1556 or via e-mail. Privacy | Disclaimers | Accessibility | Topic Index | FOIA Last Updated: 10/30/2008, 02:46 PM |