How to Manage Resources at Risk During an Oil Spill Incident

When we are dealing with disasters and have our emergency response hats on, we may forget to stop and think about what the response objectives and priorities are. Having responded to many incidents, I have seen many different objectives and priorities. However, the following have always been unchanged. Protect the People and the Environment. For those of us who follow the Incident Command System (ICS) in managing incidents, we know that successful response is always managed by objectives, which means, that we set the objectives first and then work towards achieving them while keeping our priorities focused. So what do we mean by Resources at Risk? Resources at risk are identified sites within (or close to) the incident area that could be impacted due to environmental sensitivity, archaeo- cultural sensitivity, or socio-economic risks.

The table below shows a few examples of resources at risk

Below are 5 steps to setting up and managing a resources at risk program during an incident.

(Assuming that the response objectives and priorities have been established)

1. Identify The Stakeholders (Trustees): This is the first step as you may be able to save a lot of time by identifying and talking to the person or entity with responsibility over a geographic location. For example: When we responded to the Texas City “Y” Incident, the stakeholders were identified to be part of the US Fish & Wildlife Services(USFWS), Texas Parks & Wildlife, NOAA, Texas State Historic Preservation Office, Texas General Land Office (TGLO), and the USCG. Once the parties were identified as having vested interest in the impacted area, it was much easier to gather information on what resources were at risk, and how to prioritize them.
2. Develop Resource List & Priorities: The list could be developed based on input from the trustees, and by looking at the Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) of the impacted area. In the US, ESIs are available online. One good example of how ESI’s are displayed in Texas, is TGLO’s STORM - (State of Texas Oil Spill Response Mapping) Tool. Once the list of sensitive sites is developed, they need to be prioritized to help responders focus on the immediate actions. According to the USCG, a good form to use to capture resources at risk is the ICS-232
3. Develop Best Management Practices (BMPs): BMPs are extremely important and are overlooked in many responses. They help field operations understand how to minimize damages assuming the resource was impacted by oil. An example of BMP is: Watch for and avoid collision with wildlife. Report all distressed or dead birds, marine mammals, and turtle sightings to the wildlife recovery expert.
4. Document BMP Implementation: Just like managing any project, once a plan is developed, it needs to be monitored. Documenting whether or not BMPs were implemented for an area of interest, helps us understand the level of impact and then define restoration techniques. For example, if a BMP states to avoid disturbing vegetation, marsh soils, or peat with foot traffic, and there was no other way of getting to the oil, then documenting the level of traffic helps biologists estimate the disturbance level, and then plan restoration. BMPs are usually monitored by Resource Advisors who work closely with operations on minimizing the impact.    
5. Develop a Communications Plan: The response objectives are achieved when the organization communicates and shares information to the right people at the right time. Working in silos could take away from the overall effectiveness of the response. Developing a communications plan will help manage how resources at risk information will be collected, stored, and shared. A good way to do that is by using the Biological Assessment & Impact Tool (BAIT?)

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