Development of Dispersant Pre-Approval for Washington and Oregon Coastal Waters

ABSTRACT Washington State has initiated the development process for a dispersant pre-approval policy. In order to be more effective under the aegis of the Regional Response Team (RRT), the preapproval policy should, however, cover all of Region X, rather than only a given state within the region. The Region X RRT has, therefore, instigated an environmental impact statement (EIS) for dispersant use in the coastal waters of Washington and Oregon. The objective of this study is to develop recommendations for pre-approval so that a spill response can be immediate and therefore efficient and effective. Preparation of the EIS has been funded by industry through a Clean Sound Cooperative contract to Woodward-Clyde Consultants. The first step in the study is to define those operational factors that limit the areas to be considered. The study then follows the dispersant decision guides summarized by the American Petroleum Institute2 to further define oil types, spill situations and geographical areas where dispers...