Shoreline oiling risk in the Salish Sea
Presentation Abstract
Because oil spills are unpredictable and sometimes catastrophic it is vital that plans are prepared before a spill occurs to ensure the right equipment is available and trained personnel are ready to respond. Oil spill plans must be based on risk to ensure resources are used to best effect. The risk of shoreline damage is highest where the probability of large spills is high, where the products spilled are more persistent, and where the natural resources are most sensitive and abundant. We developed a method that uses overall oil spill risk, oil spill trajectories, and environmental sensitivities to determine the risk of shoreline oiling for the vast majority of the Salish Sea. This information can be used to better hone response plans in order to mitigate the threat of oil spills. This methodology can also answer the question “What is the most at risk shoreline in the Salish Sea?”
Session Title
Fossil Fuel Export Through the Salish Sea- Impacts of Trains and Ships
Conference Track
Fate and Effects of Pollutants
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2016 : Vancouver, B.C.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
2016 12:00 AM
End Date
2016 12:00 AM
Location
2016SSEC
Type of Presentation
Oral
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)
Oil spills--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)--Planning
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
Shoreline oiling risk in the Salish Sea
2016SSEC
Because oil spills are unpredictable and sometimes catastrophic it is vital that plans are prepared before a spill occurs to ensure the right equipment is available and trained personnel are ready to respond. Oil spill plans must be based on risk to ensure resources are used to best effect. The risk of shoreline damage is highest where the probability of large spills is high, where the products spilled are more persistent, and where the natural resources are most sensitive and abundant. We developed a method that uses overall oil spill risk, oil spill trajectories, and environmental sensitivities to determine the risk of shoreline oiling for the vast majority of the Salish Sea. This information can be used to better hone response plans in order to mitigate the threat of oil spills. This methodology can also answer the question “What is the most at risk shoreline in the Salish Sea?”
