Dispersant use for Tropical Nearshore Waters: Jamaica

ABSTRACT Jamaica's shoreline is at the intersection of five major petroleum tanker shipping routes, and is a cargo transshipment point for the Caribbean. The natural coastline resources are valuable economically, with two-thirds of exchange dollars coming through tourism associated with beaches, clear waters, coral reefs, and nearshore fishing. The most thorough examination of the feasibility of using dispersants ever carried out in a developing nation has been undertaken. Dispersant toxicity of various species of critical matrix organisms has been carried out with an array of 12 dispersants. Corals, fish, seagrasses, and mangroves were tested. Toxic dispersants and three very low toxicity compounds were identified at concentrations ten times those likely to occur and ten times longer exposures. Thus, a safety factor was built in. A sensitivity map of the coastline was constructed. Simulations of “near-miss” tanker accidents were done manually with disperse and nondisperse options. A policy study of Europ...