OR&R's Role in Safe Seas 2006

Safe Seas 2006 was a multi-agency effort lead by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard, California Office of Spill Prevention and Response, Harley Marine Services, and the Department of Interior.  More than 300 people participated in training, field operations, oceanographic surveys, and incident command post activities. 

The Safe Seas 2006 exercise (SS2006) built on the successful Safe Sanctuaries 2005 exercise held in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, as well as agency-wide experience in response to the 2005 Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma.

A simulation of the tug Earnest Campbell with the tank barge Dottie under tow.

NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) brought technical skills and spill response expertise to Safe Seas, including:

• Exercise design and evaluation - OR&R, in conjunction with the National Marine Sanctuary Program, lead the coordination, design, and evaluation team of the Safe Seas 2006 exercise.
  
• Spill response, observation, and experience - OR&R deployed response software and technologies to collect operationally relevant information on water surface, water column, and shoreline oiling conditions.  Field data captured via this method was transmitted back to the incident command post.
  
• Data integration - Safe Seas provided an opportunity to test new operational capabilities, including the linking of OR&R's pollution trajectory model, GNOME, to real-time environmental observations.
  
• Environmental support - OR&R lead the Safe Seas Environmental Unit, and deployed scientists on-scene to forecast pollution fate, evaluate response alternatives, and document natural resource injuries. Scientists also conducted fieldwork to collect ephemeral data on water, wildlife and shellfish, and economic information.
  
• Marine debris identification and recovery - The NOAA Marine Debris program sponsored a component of the drill that encouraged Shoreline Assessment Teams to consider how to record and report the presence of oiled marine debris. Accordingly, a percentage of the drift cards released to simulate oil were marked to simulate the presence of oiled marine debris.
  
• Media outreach - Educational information was available to the public through the Internet and traditional media.  The public played an important role in reporting drift cards found on the water or shoreline by completing a short online reporting form (see the link, Drift Card Reporting Form, above right).  Multiple cards found at a particular location may indicate that the area is a natural collection point--a coastal location where floating materials and debris, including oil, naturally gather.
  
• Training in emergency response and safety - SS2006 provided multiple opportunities for education and training in the months leading up to the exercise. OR&R provided skill-based training in emergency response and safety, including: shoreline cleanup and assessment (SCAT), natural resource damage assessment, environmental trade-offs associated with particular response measures, and marine debris identification and recovery. Incident Command System (ICS) and National Incident Management System (NIMS) training required by the Department of Homeland Security was also provided.

Proposed Scenario

The SS2006 exercise design focused on the marine collision of a bulk freight cargo ship M/V Blue Harp inbound to San Francisco from Long Beach, with the outbound tug Earnest Campbell, towing the tank barge Dottie, en route to Los Angeles. The barge sinks from the collision, with oil spilling from both the barge and damaged cargo ship. As a result of the collision, Dottie releases oil and the Blue Harp threatens to release its fuel due to sustained damage.

The pollutants spilled during this exercise were simulated by the release of hundreds of drift cards, which were designed to model floating pollutants at the site of the hypothetical collision and sinking. Using this scenario, the Safe Seas 2006 exercise brought together federal, state, and local responders in order to increase response readiness to a large oil spill in a National Marine Sanctuary in central California.

For More Information Useful links to more information on Safe Seas 2006.

Safe Sanctuaries 2005 Video Links to downloads of the video created of 2005's pollution response drill, "Safe Sanctuaries," held in the Florida Keys.

NOAA's Marine Debris Program The NOAA Marine Debris Program is committed to identifying, removing, reducing, and preventing debris in the marine environment, on a national and an international level. The Program has identified a number of strategies to address marine debris. [leaves OR&R site]

Central and Northern California Ocean Observing System (CeNCOOS) CeNCOOS collaborated with NOAA OR&R for the Safe Seas scenario in San Francisco, Aug. 7-11, 2006. The CeNCOOS site provides information about Safe Seas activities and data access, partner institutes, and other resources. [leaves OR&R site]

IncidentNews News, photos, and information about the emergency response drill, Safe Seas 2006. This exercise brought together federal, state, and local responders in order to increase response readiness to a large oil spill in a National Marine Sanctuary in central California. [leaves OR&R site]

ResponseLINK A web-based, password-protected communications system for incident responders, including participants in the Safe Seas emergency response exercise. [leaves OR&R site]