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www.maritimeprofessional.com Maritime Professional 53 and innovative practices needed for exploration and production in the

Arctic. It also provided a venue for those engaged in the science of fighting pollution and responding to spills in the

Arctic environment. Numerous papers were presented at the Conference and a sampling of efforts now underway to respond to those events when they do occur is included in this article. These included:

SPILL EXERCISES

Kurt Hansen and Marion

Lewandowski, US Coast Guard R&D, advocated the use of exercises to advance approaches to response for oil in ice environments. According to

Hansen, the effects of climate change appear to be occurring in the Arctic but are also apparent in the Great Lakes.

This includes the potential for a length- ening of the shipping season and lower water levels, both of which could increase the risk of an oil spill. As part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) with additional funding from the Coast Guard, aspects of response to oil spills in ice are being evaluated simultaneously in the Arctic and Great

Lakes. The emphasis for this project was to develop exercises that could inte- grate approaches and provide the

Federal On-scene Coordinator (FOSC) with trained personnel and the tools needed to complete a response.

Hansen’s paper outlined a great number of ongoing efforts involving workshops, drills, cooperative partnerships and exercises.

Arctic Spill “Response Gap” Under the Microscope

Burning oil in a slush filled lead during an experimental spill on the Canadian

East Coast in 1986.

Photo Cr edit: DF Dickins

Table 2 • Poorly charted waters. • Lack of Oil Spill Technology Focused on Arctic & Deepwater Exploration

Response. • Lack of Infrastructure. • Excessive Response Gap. • Absence of Harmonized International

Polar Code. • Colder water temperatures translate into fewer organisms to break down the oil through microbial degradation. • Slower evaporation rates for oil in colder water (evaporation removes lighter, more toxic hydrocarbons) • Oil trapped in ice, evaporating only when the ice thaws, remaining in ice for years. • Icy conditions enhance emulsification – or creating what has been described as “mousse.” • Emulsification increases the volume of the oil/water mixture and its viscosity, impeding conventional cleanup methods.