Nuka Research and Planning Group, LLC

Monday October 28th, marked the completion of MassDEP's 2024 fall series of First Responder Training and Geographic Response Strategy Testing Exercises, with a training held at Town Cove in Orleans, MA. In the year 2024, Nuka Research collaborated with MassDEP and Moran Environmental Recovery, LLC (MER) to train members from over 40 local first responder departments and multiple Coast Guard sectors/stations. Thank you to each participating organization/department for your involvement throughout this exercise series! One highlight from our most recent training in Orleans was the engagement of multiple drone resources to capture footage of the on-water deployment (examples are shown below). Drones can be used in training/exercise scenarios to enhance responder abilities to document and coordinate tactics, strategies, and adjustments. We'd like to give our sincerest thank you to MassDEP, MER, and each participating town, city, and department for your support in maintaining this valuable exercise program and for your continued partnership to better prepare Massachusetts coastal towns for oil spill emergencies!

Last month, Nuka Research teamed up with John DuPonte from Moran Environmental Recovery to provide four marine oil spill response training sessions for members of the Centerville-Osterville-Marstons Mills (C-O-MM) Fire District. This training was funded by and made possible through MassDEP's Marine Oil Spill Prevention and Response Act (MOSPRA) Grant Program. Thank you to C-O-MM Fire for hosting us!

In 2021, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) commissioned a comprehensive study to address the evolving risks and hazards associated with climate change, specifically in relation to requirements for the state to incorporate climate considerations into its planning and operations. Co-led by Nuka Research and Resilience and Foresight Services (Katie McPherson (she/her)), this multi-faceted project explored the complex associations between climate hazards, adaptation efforts, and decarbonization and their relation to the Massachusetts Oil Spill Prevention and Response Act (MOSPRA). A literature review establishing baseline information, an updated threat assessment of oil storage and transportation in Massachusetts, and expert interviews were integrated into a Climate Ready workshop in May 2023. Findings highlight the need for MOSPRA program activities to adapt to climate change by preparing for complex incidents involving climate hazards and oil spills, incorporating climate resilience into Geographic Response Strategies, and enhancing training programs. The report emphasizes collaboration across agencies to ensure MOSPRA's readiness for the anticipated impacts of climate change and decarbonization, ultimately aiming to mitigate risks associated with oil spill, new fuels, and emerging technologies by fostering innovative strategies within the program. ? The Final Report can be found on MassDEP’s website?here: https://lnkd.in/eAEZdDR7

We would like to welcome Samantha Ryea to the Nuka Research team this Fall! She is a student at the University of New England and on her way to completing her undergraduate classes next Spring! "I am ecstatic to be working with Nuka on their Cook Inlet and Kodiak Area Marine Biodiversity mapping project for the remainder of the year! I am enjoying exploring the incredible environments of Cook Inlet and Kodiak Island and am honored to be contributing to a company that is truly making a positive impact for ecosystems and communities alike. The valuable skills I am learning are ones I will carry with me throughout my career, like developing my professional style, refining my research strategies, and networking with people I aspire to one day work with! I thank Nuka for this opportunity, and I look forward to witnessing all of the wonderful things we will accomplish throughout this year.”

Last month, our team, in collaboration with Nuka Research and Planning Group, LLC, proudly supported the 100th oil spill response training for MassDEP's Massachusetts Oil Spill Prevention and Response Act (MOSPRA) Program in Scituate, MA. This milestone reflects the ongoing commitment to enhancing oil spill preparedness and response capabilities. We’re honored to play a key role in this initiative, contributing to the safety and resilience of our coastal communities.

MassDEP and US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 1 hosted a joint Geographic Response Strategies exercise this week to test the feasibility of plans developed to contain and recover oil spilled into the Blackstone River. The exercise was the first oil spill preparedness exercise ever held along this river. Joining in the exercise were local fire departments, Nuka Research and Planning Group, LLC and Moran Environmental Recovery, LLC. In 2021, EPA and NUKA developed the Geographic Response Strategies for 10 locations along the Blackstone River in central Massachusetts to respond to potential oil spills and protect sensitive natural resources. This week's exercise tested the?feasibility to contain and recover oil using absorbents, booms, and other equipment provided in the inland waterway spill response trailer that MassDEP has supplied to local communities. Press release about the exercise along the Blackstone River: https://lnkd.in/e2PhiSj8 Information on the inland Geographic Response Strategies program can be found on EPA’s website: https://lnkd.in/eejGuSj7

It is always a pleasure to team up with MER and John DuPonte to provide marine oil spill response training to coastal First Nation communities in British Columbia! Thanks for the great post, Moran Environmental Recovery, LLC.

Earlier this month, members of our team traveled to Burlington, Vermont, to support a series of Geographic Response Strategy (GRS) testing exercises led by the EPA Region 1. Thank you to all of our great partners for their support throughout this effort, including the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, Vermont State Hazardous Materials Response Team, Shelburne and Colchester Fire Departments, Lake Champlain Conservation Law Foundation, University of Vermont, Republic Services, and Environmental Restoration LLC. https://lnkd.in/gdYK25uH

Want to read more about the issues of destabilizing slopes, increasing risks of landslide-generated tsunamis, and the questions around what vessel operators can do if such an event were to occur in Alaska? Christian Elliott sums up the topic very nicely in their recent article published in Hakai Magazine: https://lnkd.in/ePitgqjC We hope that after this week's workshop with the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens' Advisory Council in Valdez, vessel operators and tsunami scientists can continue to build on their discussions and come up with attainable recommendations for those who frequent Alaska's complex coastline to follow in the event of a landslide-generated tsunami.

Workshop on a vessel? Why do it any other way? Such a privilege to facilitate this group of experts trying to figure out the best way to keep vessels safe in the increasing chance of tsunamis caused by landslides expected in the future.