Presentation Abstract
Commercial vessel traffic through the shared waters of Washington and British Columbia is projected to increase over the next decade—rising by approximately 25% if a set of proposed projects are completed (e.g., Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project, Gateway Pacific Terminal, and several in Port Metro Vancouver). In 2013 the Puget Sound Partnership and Makah Tribe partnered with professional mariners and other stakeholders from the Puget Sound Harbor Safety Committee to significantly update a George Washington and Virginia Commonwealth University vessel traffic risk assessment (VTRA) study for the Sound. Using vessel tracks recorded in 2010 by the US and Canadian Coast Guards, the VTRA depicts the baseline in oil spill risk and the magnitude and geographic extent of changes in relative risk associated with the set of potential ‘What If’ projects above. The maritime risk assessment follows a participatory model based on the “collaborative analysis” method (Busenberg 1999, Weible 2008). Based on the results of the ‘What If’ simulations, the VTRA stakeholders requested the researchers model several risk mitigation measures (e.g., reducing vessel speed, adding supplemental tug escorts, etc.) to evaluate the potential effectiveness of each in reducing relative risk in the system as a whole –and in specific waterways. This talk will summarize those results and outline current (and anticipated) collaborative efforts to proactively manage vessel traffic risk in this trans-boundary region over the immediate and longer-term.
Session Title
Session S-10C: Spill Prevention, Preparedness, and Response Issues in the Salish Sea and Pacific Northwest
Conference Track
Emerging Contaminants and Emergencies
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2014 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
2-5-2014 1:30 PM
End Date
2-5-2014 3:00 PM
Location
Room 606
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Shipping--Risk management--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Oil spills--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)--Prevention
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
Collaborative Efforts to Pinpoint, Quantify and Proactively Manage Risk Through a Comprehensive Vessel Traffic Risk Assessment for Puget Sound
Room 606
Commercial vessel traffic through the shared waters of Washington and British Columbia is projected to increase over the next decade—rising by approximately 25% if a set of proposed projects are completed (e.g., Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project, Gateway Pacific Terminal, and several in Port Metro Vancouver). In 2013 the Puget Sound Partnership and Makah Tribe partnered with professional mariners and other stakeholders from the Puget Sound Harbor Safety Committee to significantly update a George Washington and Virginia Commonwealth University vessel traffic risk assessment (VTRA) study for the Sound. Using vessel tracks recorded in 2010 by the US and Canadian Coast Guards, the VTRA depicts the baseline in oil spill risk and the magnitude and geographic extent of changes in relative risk associated with the set of potential ‘What If’ projects above. The maritime risk assessment follows a participatory model based on the “collaborative analysis” method (Busenberg 1999, Weible 2008). Based on the results of the ‘What If’ simulations, the VTRA stakeholders requested the researchers model several risk mitigation measures (e.g., reducing vessel speed, adding supplemental tug escorts, etc.) to evaluate the potential effectiveness of each in reducing relative risk in the system as a whole –and in specific waterways. This talk will summarize those results and outline current (and anticipated) collaborative efforts to proactively manage vessel traffic risk in this trans-boundary region over the immediate and longer-term.
