OIL POLLUTION RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY PLAN Fiscal Years 2015-2021 INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COMMITEE ON OIL POLLUTION RESEARCH (ICCOPR) September 2015 Final Oil Pollution Research & Technology Plan – Approved September 29, 2015 DISCLAIMER This Oil Pollution Research and Technology Plan (OPRTP) presents the collective opinion of the 15 departments and agencies that constitute the members of Interagency Coordinating Committee on Oil Pollution Research (ICCOPR), regarding the status and current focus of the federal oil pollution research, development, and demonstration program (established pursuant to section 7001(c) of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2761(c))). The statements, positions, and research priorities contained in this OPRTP may not necessarily reflect the views or policies of an individual department or agency, including any component of a department or agency that is a member of ICCOPR. This OPRTP does not establish any regulatory requirement or interpretation, nor implies the need to establish a new regulatory requirement or modify an existing regulatory requirement. Page ii Final Oil Pollution Research & Technology Plan – Approved September 29, 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ..................................................................................................................III LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................................... XI LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................................................... XII LIST OF ACRONYMS .................................................................................................................. XIII DEFINITIONS ............................................................................................................................... XXI EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................. 1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................. 3 Background ................................................................................................................................. 3 Purpose of the Plan ..................................................................................................................... 4 Scope and Use of the Plan .......................................................................................................... 4 PART ONE – OIL POLLUTION RESEARCH .................................................................................. 7 1. The Need for Oil Pollution Research .............................................................................. 7 1.1 U.S. Oil Production ......................................................................................................... 8 1.2 History of Oil Spills in the U.S. .......................................................................................12 1.3 Analysis of the Oil Spill System .....................................................................................15 1.4 Exploration and Production Facilities .............................................................................16 1.5 Onshore and Offshore Pipelines .........................................................................................17 1.6 Railroads ...........................................................................................................................19 1.7 Refining and Storage Operations...................................................................................21 1.8 Maritime and Riverine Transport - Tank Vessels (Ships & Barges) and Non-Tank Vessels ..........................................................................................................................22 1.9 Oil Tankers ....................................................................................................................24 1.10 Regional and Geographic Areas of Interest ...................................................................25 2. Federal Oil Pollution Research ......................................................................................27 2.1 ICCOPR ....................................................................................................................27 2.1.1. Origin .........................................................................................................................27 2.1.2. ICCOPR Membership ................................................................................................27 2.1.2.1 U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) ..............................................................................29 2.1.2.2 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ............................29 2.1.2.3 National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) ..................................30 2.1.2.4 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) ..................................................................31 Page iii Final Oil Pollution Research & Technology Plan – Approved September 29, 2015 2.1.2.5 Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) ............................31 2.1.2.6 Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) .............................................32 2.1.2.7 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) ........................................................32 2.1.2.8 Maritime Administration (MARAD) ..................................................................33 2.1.2.9 Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) ...................33 2.1.2.10 US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) ........................................................34 2.1.2.11 U.S. Navy (USN) ...........................................................................................34 2.1.2.12 U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) ...................................................................35 2.1.2.13 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)...............................................35 2.1.2.14 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) ..............................36 2.1.2.15 U.S. Arctic Research Commission (USARC) ................................................36 2.2. Other Federal Stakeholders and Entities ...................................................................37 2.2.1 Arctic Executive Steering Committee (AESC) ...........................................................37 2.2.2 Federal Oil Spill Team for Emergency Response Remote Sensing (FOSTERRS) ....37 2.2.3 Federal Rail Administration (FRA) .............................................................................37 2.2.4 U.S. Geologic Survey (USGS) ...................................................................................38 2.2.5 Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council ...............................................................38 2.2.6 Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (GMFMC) ...........................................38 2.2.7 U.S. Marine Mammal Commission (MMC) ................................................................39 2.2.8 National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) ...................................39 2.2.9 U.S. National Response Team (NRT) - Science and Technology (S&T) Committee .40 2.2.10 National Science Foundation (NSF) ..........................................................................40 2.2.11 NOAA RESTORE Act Science Program ...................................................................40 2.2.12 North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) Gulf of Mexico Funds ..........41 2.3 Federal Research Laboratories and Testing Facilities ...............................................41 2.3.1 Ohmsett .....................................................................................................................41 2.3.2 USCG Research & Development Center (RDC) .......................................................42 2.3.3 USCG RDC Joint Maritime Test Facility ....................................................................42 2.3.4 USCG Marine Safety Laboratory ...............................................................................42 2.3.5 U.S. EPA National Risk Management Research Laboratory (NRMRL) .....................42 2.3.6 Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) ................................43 2.3.7 U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) ............................43 2.3.8 Hollings Marine Laboratory (HML) .............................................................................43 Page iv Final Oil Pollution Research & Technology Plan – Approved September 29, 2015 2.2.9 U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Stennis Space Center .................................44 2.3.10 Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) ..........................................................44 2.3.11 Coastal and Ocean Research Vessels ......................................................................45 2.3.10.1 USCG Cutter Healy .......................................................................................45 2.3.11.2 EPA Vessels .................................................................................................45 2.3.11.3 MARAD Vessels ...........................................................................................45 2.3.11.4 NOAA Vessels ..............................................................................................45 2.3.12