Article from: The Beacon

DBRC evolves to support renewable energy

By: Rich Gaudiosi, President

Delaware Bay and River Cooperative

It’s hard to believe the Delaware Bay and River Cooperative, Inc. has been serving the Delaware Valley for more than 45 years.

DBRC was incorporated on May 16, 1994 from the consolidation of Delaware Bay and Delaware River Cooperatives originally formed in 1976. This nonprofit corporation is fully funded by its members to provide prevention, preparedness, and response to oil spills in the Delaware River and Bay. We cover the area from the Betsy Ross Bridge to offshore of the Delaware Bay, the tidal portion of the Schuylkill River, and the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal west to Elkton, Md.

As with any organization with this much history and longevity, evolution of services and structure must be an essential part of doing business. The DBRC has grown from the eight original member companies to twelve member companies today. And in 2014, the board authorized the creation of an Industrial Fire Group Committee as a standing committee along with the existing Operations Committee.

Although DBRC’s beginnings stem from oil spill preparedness and response, their underpinnings are rooted in environmental protection. After all, DBRC’s mission since inception has been to protect the environmentally sensitive areas along the Delaware River. In 2016, DBRC created a training program for its members aimed at building expertise in preparedness and response and validated that this expertise results in enhanced environmental protection. The next step is to develop an environmental protection education program.

DBRC prides itself on being agile to address the ever-changing structure and economics of the port. Being small enough to change with the needs of the maritime community has been an asset to the company throughout its years of service to the Delaware Valley. So, when the government placed considerable emphasis on the development of renewable energy sources, the board and I viewed the movement as a new opportunity for DBRC to serve the region as a whole.

Offshore wind is a growing industry along the eastern seaboard, particularly in the mid-Atlantic. Several offshore wind projects are planned for leases off the New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland coastlines, consisting of hundreds of wind turbines and offshore substations.

While the benefits of this development to power thousands of homes and businesses are obvious, they come with the risk of an offshore oil spill. Although the risk is low, the prudent operator must plan for the unexpected and arrange for oil spill response assets.

DBRC is uniquely positioned to provide this coverage with its oil spill response vessel “Delriver,” staffed 24/7 and moored at the University of Delaware’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment in Lewes, Del. This capable vessel is able to respond to offshore wind projects in four hours or less with onboard containment boom and oil removal skimmers and crew with the necessary expertise.

Maintaining an ocean-going oil spill response vessel is challenging. Vessel maintenance, crew qualifications, and annual certifications and inspections are not cheap, so spreading the costs across increasing numbers of port stakeholders who join the DBRC is a win for all. The growth of offshore wind fits into DBRC portfolio perfectly, and US Wind has recently contracted with DBRC for its Maryland offshore wind projects.

DBRC is a dynamic, nimble company dedicated to the protection of the environment and the communities of the Delaware Valley. We must keep an eye on the future and be flexible enough to shift our focus in ways to meet the needs of the port while maintaining our commitment to the environment. DBRC has been an important player in environmental protection in our port for nearly five decades, and we plan to continue our commitment to the environment well into the future.