CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE OFFICE OF SPILL PREVENTION AND RESPONSE (CDFW-OSPR) REPORT ON BEST ACHIEVABLE TECHNOLOGY Applied Response Technologies (ART) Prepared by: Ellen Faurot-Daniels CDFW-OSPR Senior Environmental Scientist (Specialist) December 2016 Contributing Writers and Reviewers CDFW-OSPR: Michael Sowby, Office of Spill Prevention and Response Annie Nelson, Office of Spill Prevention and Response Julie Yamamoto, Office of Spill Prevention and Response External Reviewers: Jonathan Bishop, California Coastal Commission (listed alphabetically) Victoria Broje, Shell Steven Ricks, Marine Spill Response Corporation Carol Roberts, US Fish and Wildlife Service Linda Scourtis, Bay Conservation and Development Commission Table of Contents Page EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 SECTION 1. APPLIED RESPONSE TECHNOLOGY (ART) OVERVIEW 2 A. Expectations of Mechanical and ART Contributions to an 2 Oil Spill Response 1. Offshore Response 2 2. Shoreline Cleanup 2 3. The No-response Option 3 B. Categories of ART and Oil Spill Cleanup Agents (OSCAs) 3 SECTION II. OIL SPILL CLEANUP AGENTS (OSCA) 3 A. OSCA Overview 3 B. Government Reviews of OSCAs 4 1. Federal: The National Contingency Plan (NCP) Product Schedule 4 and Subpart J 2. State: OSPR Review and Licensing Process 4 C. Government Authorizations for Use of ARTs 6 1. Federal: Regional Response Team IX (RRT IX) Authorization for Use 6 2. State: OSPR Administrator Approval for Use 7 D. Dispersants 8 1. Dispersant Overview 8 2. Dispersant Properties 8 3. Dispersant Efficacy 9 a. Efficacy Testing in Advance of a Spill 9 b. Efficacy Testing as a Result of a Spill 11 4. Dispersant Toxicity 12 a. Toxicity Testing in Advance of a Spill 12 b. Toxicity Testing as a Result of a Spill 15 i. Additional Dispersant Product Toxicity Testing Following 15 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) Spill ii. Components Analysis of Corexit Dispersants 16 Table 1. Corexit Components Evaluation 17 iii. Other Research and Concerns Regarding Dispersant and 18 Dispersed Oil Environmental Toxicity Following DWH 5. Dispersed Oil Monitoring 19 a. Special Monitoring of Applied Response Technologies (SMART) 19 b. DWH: Laser In-Situ Scattering and Transmissometer (LISST) 20 c. California Dispersed Oil Monitoring Plan (DOMP) 21 d. Fate of Oil and Dispersed Oil from DWH Spill 22 i. Implications for California 23 6. Dispersant Application Technology 23 i Page Table 2. General California Dispersant Application Platform 25 Information 7. RRT IX Dispersant Use Plan for California -- Structure and Use 26 a. Conditions and Expectations of Dispersant Use 27 8. Other Dispersant Issues 28 a. Federal and State Requirements for Dispersant Resources and 28 Response Times i. Federal 28 ii. State 29 b. Dispersant Planning for California State and Inland Waters 30 c. New Dispersant Formulations or Approaches 30 d. Current Limits to Expanded Use of Dispersants 30 e. Continuing Challenges to the Use of Dispersants 31 E. Non-Dispersant Oil Spill Cleanup Agents 31 1. Sorbents 32 a. Sorbent Overview 32 b. Types and Testing of Sorbents 32 i. Organic 33 ii. Inorganic 35 iii. Synthetic 35 Table 3. Sorbent Capacity 37 c. OSPR-Sponsored Scientific Studies 39 d. Spill of Opportunity Sorbent Testing 39 e. Sorbent Product Forms and Configurations 40 f. Recycling and Waste Disposal 41 2. Surface Washing Agents 41 a. Surface Washing Agent Overview 41 b. Efficacy 42 i. Efficacy Testing in Advance of a Spill 42 ii. Efficacy Testing as a Result of a Spill 43 c. Environmental Considerations 44 d. Operational Considerations 45 e. Other Issues 45 3. Solidifiers/Elasticity Modifiers/Gelling Agents 46 a. Solidifier/Elasticity Modifier/Gelling Agent Overview 46 b. Efficacy 48 c. Environmental Considerations 48 d. Operational Considerations 49 e. Pilot Projects and Pre-Approvals 49 i. Navy Pilot Project 49 ii. Lake Tahoe Marina Operators 50 ii Page iii. State Pre-Approval for Solidifiers in Self-Contained Form 50 f. Other Issues 51 i. Liquid 51 ii. Loose Particulate 51 iii. Self-Contained Particulate 51 4. Herding Agents 52 a. Herding Agent Overview 52 b. Environmental Considerations 53 c. Efficacy and Operational Considerations 55 d. Other Issues 56 5. De-Emulsifiers 55 a. De-Emulsifier Overview 55 b. Efficacy and Operational Considerations 55 c. Other Issues 57 6. Bioremediants 58 a. Bioremediant Overview 58 i. Use in On-Water Applications 58 ii. Use in Rocky and Sandy Intertidal Applications 59 iii. Use in Marsh and Mudflat Applications 60 b. Efficacy 60 i. Efficacy Testing in Advance of a Spill 60 ii. Efficacy Testing as a Result of a Spill 60 Rocky Intertidal Use – 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill 61 Marsh and Wetland Use – 2004 Suisun Marsh Pipeline Spill 62 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) Oil Spill 63 Biodegradation of Oil Droplets in the Water Column 63 Microbial Response on Oiled Shorelines and Marshes 64 Evaluation of Bioremediation for DWH-Oiled Marshes 64 2015 Refugio Beach 65 2016 Grove Incident 65 c. Operational and Environmental Considerations 66 Table 4. Habitat Types Supporting the Best Use of 68 Bioremediation Products and Approaches d. Other Issues 69 i. Open Water Use 69 ii. Shoreline Use of Bioremediants Containing a Surfactant 69 iii. Establishing Bioremediant Product Pilot-Test Areas 69 During An Active Oil Spill Response iv. Expected Changes to the NCP Product Schedule and 70 State OSCA Licensing Regarding Bioremediants iii Page SECTION III. IN-SITU BURN (ISB) 70 A. In-Situ Burn Overview 70 B. Operational Considerations 71 1. Ignition 71 2. Physical Factors 71 C. Efficacy 73 1. Efficacy Testing in Advance of a Spill 73 2. Efficacy Testing as a Result of a Spill 74 D. Environmental Effects 74 1. Air Monitoring/Testing in Advance of a Spill 74 2. Air Monitoring/Testing as a Result of a Spill 75 3. Air Emissions 77 4. Surface Microlayer: Temperature and Toxicology 77 5. Burn Residues 78 E. Other Aspects of Human Health and Worker Safety 79 1. Personnel Safety During Ignition and Burn Phases 79 2. Soot Reduction 79 F. Other In-Situ Burn Issues 80 1. In-Situ Burning in Inland and Upland Habitats 80 a. Environmental Effects 80 2015 East Wax Lake Spill 80 2. Operational Considerations 82 G. Agency Authorizations 83 1. Marine On-Water ISB 83 2. Inland (Marsh, Upland) ISB 84 H. ISB Policy Update 85 1. Possible Effects of Proposed Subpart J Revisions 85 on ISB Decision-Making 2. Use of New ISB Resources and Guidance 85 3. The Need for an EPA Waiver Letter 86 I. Other Issues 86 1. Availability of Fire Boom 86 SECTION IV. ART FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 87 A. Oil Spill Cleanup Agents 87 1. Dispersants 87 a. OSPR Has Met Previous BAT Goals for Dispersants 87 b. Continuing BAT Improvements for Dispersants 88 i. Research 88 ii. ii. Planning and Policy 89 2. Sorbents 90 a. OSPR Has Met Previous BAT Goals for Sorbents 90 b. Continuing BAT Improvements for Sorbents 91 iv Page i. Research 91 ii. Planning and Policy 91 3. Surface Washing Agents 92 a. OSPR Has Met Previous BAT Goals for Surface 92 Washing Agents b. Continuing BAT Improvements for Surface Washing Agents 92 i. Research 92 ii. Planning and Policy 93 4. Solidifying Agents 93 a. OSPR Has Met Previous BAT Goals for Solidifying Agents 93 b. Continuing BAT Improvements for Solidifying Agents 94 i. Research 94 ii. Planning and Policy 94 5. Herding Agents 95 a. OSPR Has Met Previous BAT Goals for Herding Agents 95 b. Continuing BAT Improvements for Herding Agents 95 i. Research 95 ii. Planning and Policy 96 6. De-Emulsifiers 96 a. OSPR Has Met Previous BAT Goals for De-Emulsifiers 96 b. Continuing BAT Improvements for De-Emulsifiers 96 i. Research 96 ii. Planning and Policy 96 7. Bioremediants 97 a. OSPR Has Met Previous BAT Goals for Bioremediants 97 b. Continuing BAT Improvements for Bioremediants 97 i. Research 97 ii. Planning and Policy 97 8. In-Situ Burning 97 a. OSPR Has Met Previous BAT Goals for In-Situ Burning 97 b. Continuing BAT Improvements for In-Situ Burning 98 i. Research 98 ii. Planning and Policy 98 9. OSPR Licensing of Oil Spill Cleanup Agents (OSCAs) 99 a. OSPR Has Met Previous BAT Goals for OSCA Licensing 99 b. Continuing BAT Improvements for OSCA Licensing 100 v Page SECTION V. LIST OF ACRONYMS 101 SECTION VI. REFERENCES CITED 103 vi EXECUTIVE SUMMARY There have been considerable advances in the last two decades in the fields of oil spill response research and oil spill response planning that address the use of Applied Response Technologies (ART). There are two basic categories of ARTs: The use of an oil spill cleanup agent (OSCA), or the use of in-situ burning of oil (ISB). The OSCA category is fairly broad, and can include dispersants, surface washing agents, sorbents, solidifiers, herders, de- emulsifiers, and bioremediants. Provided in this report are: - ART and OSCA product overviews; - Descriptions of the federal (EPA) and State (OSPR) authorities in reviewing OSCA products, and federal and state roles in authorizing the use of various types of ART specific to actual incidents; - Case history examples describing ART approaches been used in past oil spill responses; - Scientific research results from both testing and actual use of OSCAs or ISB on spills; - Scientific research that explores the environmental or human health issues related to each product’s use; - The benefits or constraints presented by use of each ART; - Federal and State policies regarding ART use; - The update status of each ART use plan and the OSPR licensing program. This report concludes with a set of OSPR Findings and Recommendations related to each OSCA product category, in-situ burning, and OSCA licensing. We address how our efforts have met previous BAT goals related to the potential use of any ART, and offer recommendations for further development and refinement of ART research, response planning, and response policies.