API PUBL 4706

Abstract

When planning response activities for an oil spill, decision-makers must react to a wide range of circumstances. Decisions will vary depending on the type of petroleum product spilled and the nature of the impacted habitat. Response decisions will be based on tradeoffs dealing with the environmental consequences of the spilled oil and the response method selected, as well as the efficiency and effectiveness of the method. Selecting appropriate protection, response, and cleanup techniques, both before and following an oil spill, affects the ultimate environmental impact and cost resulting from a spill. The American Petroleum Institute, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the US Coast Guard, and the US Environmental Protection Agency jointly developed this document as a tool for contingency planners and field responders to identify response techniques that have minimal ecological impacts and also minimize the impact of the oil. Guidance is provided through matrix tables indicating the relative environmental consequences of the different response options used for various categories of oil in open water and shoreline habitats. The document provides information on 28 response methods and classifies their relative environmental impacts for combinations of five oil types and 25 marine habitats.