API TR 1155-2:2016 pdf free download.Shoreline In Situ Treatment (Sediment Mixing and Relocation) Fact Sheet
What are the benefits of using in situ shoreline treatment methods?
There are many benefits, including:
Reduced treatment time compared with natural recovery and other clean-up techniques
Minimal labor, equipment, and logistical requirements
Minimal heavy equipment and responders on the beach
No removal of sediment
No generation of waste (unless oil is recovered on water)
Equipment is typically readily available from the construction and/or agricultural industries
From a purely practical viewpoint, in situ treatment is preferred for remote locations where logistics and waste management are problematic.
Why can’t you just remove all of the oil using manual or mechanical means?
Following an oil spill, the complete removal of every last trace of oil is rarely achievable or practical. Decision makers consider the limitations of manual and mechanical shoreline tactics, which:
Are much slower than in situ methods
Require more equipment and laborers, therefore greater logistical support
Produce a large volume of waste, which is especially difficult to manage in remote locations
Remove a large volume of sediment with the oil, which may contribute to shoreline erosion
Remove organisms that live in beach sediments
For light oiling conditions, in situ treatment may be sufficient to accelerate natural weathering and removal processes within an acceptable time frame. For higher oil concentrations in populated or accessible areas, manual or mechanical tactics may be preferred initially to remove the bulk surface oil, and then in situ reatment can be applied as part of a polishing process for any remaining oil residues.
How are shoreline treatment methods chosen?
Oil spill response decisions are made by the Incident Command team, with participation and guidance from relevant agencies and stakeholders.
Treatment methods are recommended by experienced professionals in the Environmental Unit, who assess the net environmental benefit of the available options.
Field trials may be conducted to evaluate and compare the effectiveness and impacts of different treatment options and can greatly assist the decision process.
Permits or approvals from the relevant agency(ies) may be required for some treatment methods,including in situ treatment methods.
Mixing: Doesn’t the oil just become buried? Burial of oil can be prevented by limiting the depth of mixing, which can be controlled by the choice and configuration of equipment. 16 In addition, buried oil can be brought to the surface by mixing tactics. Sediment relocation—Doesn’t the oil just sink? Relocation breaks up oiled sediments, which enhances the formation of OPA, and thereby facilitates the physical removal and natural dispersion by wave and water action.
Oil Particle Aggregates (OPAs) do not sink provided that both the oil and the fine particles are less dense than the water.
Breaking waves on even low energy shorelines and river currents keep the OPA emulsions in suspension.
When the oil is broken up into smaller particles by wave energy and/or OPA formation, dispersion and biodegradation are accelerated 17 , and therefore natural removal and weathering is enhanced.
Monitoring during experimental field studies has shown that oil typically does not accumulate in benthic sediments following sediment relocation.API TR 1155-2 pdf download.API TR 1155-2:2016 pdf free download
