MAXIMIZING DISPERSANT PREPAREDNESS: LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE 2007 HAWAIIAN ISLANDS FULL SCALE EXERCISE

ABSTRACT Large scale dispersant exercises have been conducted nationally and internationally ever since their first large scale use during the Torrey Canyon Spill of 1967. Few of these exercises are conducted on the grandest scale intended to exercise all aspects of the operation; from command and control, pre-application testing, application, monitoring and data transmission. Clean Islands Council in cooperation with the State of Hawaii'S Department of Health and the U.S. Coast Guard conducted a two day exercise on February 21–22, 2007 to test the full range of the State'S Dispersant capability. It was the largest exercise ever conducted in Hawaii, and arguably the largest in United States history. The exercise was the culmination of 14 years of program development by the Clean Islands Council, the State of Hawaii and the United States Coast Guard. The exercise instilled a tremendous appreciation in all players involved of the complexity of dispersant operations, and the importance of ensuring efficient ...