Dispersants: A Guided Tour - Part Six

Where are dispersants being used?

People preparing spill response plans for many U. S. coastal regions now include dispersant use as a response option under certain conditions. In other parts of the world, such as in Great Britain and Europe, dispersants have become the main response technique for oil spills. Dispersant use was considered to be a major factor in reducing shoreline oiling and biological impacts at the Sea Empress oil spill in Wales in 1996.

This photo was taken during a November 1999 incident in Puerto Rico, in which a grounded freighter was in danger of spilling fuel oil. Dispersants and a shipboard application system were deployed and tested, as shown at left, in case oil spilled during offloading of the ship's fuel. (Because no oil spilled, dispersants were not used at this incident).

How is NOAA Involved?

Our main role is to provide scientific support to the people who must plan for dispersant use in coastal regions around the US. As part of this work, we stay abreast of current research on dispersants, provide training about issues related to use of dispersants, and participate in developing dispersant monitoring programs (such as the SMART program). The photo below shows a NOAA spill response specialist training U.S. Coast Guard officers in the use of fluorometers for dispersant monitoring.

What's the Bottom Line?

Dispersants provide an effective tool for oil spill response on open water when conditions are appropriate. Some of the contents of the "spill response toolbox" include, in clockwise order from the upper left, dispersants, skimmers, booms, and burning. Dispersants are usually used in conjunction with these other cleanup techniques.