Straits of Mackinac Emergency Response Self-Assessment
Enbridge embraces recommendations of independent report on our ER capabilities
Historical incidents like the Exxon Valdez tanker spill in Prince William Sound in 1989, and the Deepwater Horizon blowout in 2010, have acted as catalysts for increased response capability by industry and public agencies, based on best technology and practices.
Conventional open-water response consists of oil containment boom for exclusion and collection, and skimmers for recovery and transfer to temporary storage. Enbridge’s oil spill response equipment and tactics in the area of the Straits of Mackinac are founded on conventional mechanical recovery. Mechanical recovery has been favored as the preferred method of removal as it removes oil from the environment. However, there are many environmental conditions that influence the effectiveness of a response which necessitates the need for rapid containment and recovery in open water. Once onshore, shoreline cleanup of oil is an arduous labor intensive activity that generates large amounts of associated materials for handling and disposal.
Enbridge currently meets regulatory response requirements with in-house and Oil Spill Response Organization (OSRO) equipment and personnel, but has determined that this should be viewed as a minimum planning standard in the Straits of Mackinac. As such, in November 2015, Enbridge contracted Qualitech Environmental’s Mark Ploen to conduct an independent gap analysis in the area.
The report was based on Mr. Ploen’s professional experience and research spanning a 30-year career in the oil spill response industry. Enbridge has embraced the recommendations within the report.
|
Item |
Recommendation |
Status |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Oil response equipment should be properly stored and segregated |
Existing equipment has been segregated and storage and handling of new equipment is ongoing |
|
2 |
Contract T&T Marine as an Oil Spill Response Organization |
Contract in process of being finalized |
|
3 |
Establish a response network with local marine assets to allow access to vessels of opportunity |
T&T Marine & Marine Pollution Control maintain a vessel of opportunity database available to Enbridge and are confident that access to vessels will be addressed by their respective networks |
|
4 |
Acquire open water response equipment identified as “Best Available Technology” |
Enbridge has committed to purchasing and employing 4 x Current Buster 2’s, 4 x Current Buster 4’s, 4 x boom vanes, and 4 x viscous pumping systems in 2016/17 as recommended |
|
5 |
Acquire ice response technology |
Enbridge has committed to the purchase and employment of 2 x Lamor Arctic Oil Recovery Bucket Systems and 10,000 ft sea sentry boom as recommended in the report |
|
6 |
Acquire and locate half of the Tactical Response Plan equipment requirements in the area |
Enbridge has committed to the purchase of 7000 ft containment boom, 28,000 ft sorbent boom, 24,000 ft viscous sweep, 100 x boom anchors and 500 x boom stakes as identified in the report to be housed in the area |
|
7 |
Develop Tactical Response Plan to include additional resources |
Enbridge has a Tactical Response Plan that will be updated and enhanced when new response equipment and contracts are in place |
|
8 |
Establish a training program to include Oil Spill Response Organizations built around open water recovery and in ice |
Enbridge will add training on new equipment and tactics to its existing program that will cover the utilization and activation of the new equipment |
|
9 |
Pursue a insitu burn tactic option in the area |
Enbridge will purchase 2 x Fire Boom Systems and will work with agencies to ensure an ability to deploy. Pre-approval to deploy this equipment is required by Federal. State and Local agencies |
Enbridge Pipelines’ strategy and way forward in the Straits of Mackinac centers on not just capability, but “thinking socially” and “building trust” among stakeholders and the community.
Although Enbridge’s capability for oil response meets regulatory requirements, the need to deploy resources in the Straits of Mackinac within 24 hours is a critical window to minimize environmental effects. Technology does exist to enable a more timely and effective response and recovery in the area. Enbridge considers it “the right thing to do” by adopting all of the recommendations made in the Line 5 Emergency Response Capability Analysis Report.
