U.S. Coast Guard and NOAA to conduct oil spill response training in Charleston

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Coast Guard Base Charleston and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will conduct pollution response training focusing on oil spills and aftermath shoreline assessments in Charleston.

The training will be held from March 19-21 and be conducted by NOAA and various members of the NOAA’s Scientific Support Team for oil spill responses.

Officials say the team of scientists has worldwide oil spill response experience, including the Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska, the 1993 Tampa Bay Oil Spill and the New Horizon Gulf of Mexico spill.

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the training will focus on the following objectives:

1. Understanding how oil behaves and how it impacts sensitive resources like shorelines and habitat types
2. Review of various response options and use of decision criteria
3. Discussions of spill modeling techniques and other computer-based tools used for spill planning and response
4. Demonstrating systematic techniques for conducting effective shoreline cleanup assessments
5. Conducting field exercises to demonstrate and practice shoreline assessment methods
6. Preparing important members of the spill community for participation as a member of the shoreline cleanup and assessment technique team.
7. Development of suggestions for local area committee projects and initiatives
8. Provide for open exchange of ideas, concerns, and priorities between Coast Guard, the State, resource trustees and industry.