Current Situation

• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced on July 30, 2010 that a new analysis showed that the East Coast is unlikely to experience any effects from the remaining oil on the surface of the gulf as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

• Containment cap operations were successful in stopping oil flow on July 15, 2010.
• NOAA has continued modeling of near shore oil trajectories. However, the suspension of offshore trajectory modeling still stands due to small amounts of oil offshore, the absence of recent observations confirming significant amounts of oil in offshore areas, and the large separation between the Loop Current complex and the oil slick. Forecasts will resume if the threat returns.
• According to NOAA, chances of oil in the Gulf reaching the Loop Current are extremely small, especially now that the cap has been successful.
• NOAA is monitoring Tropical Depression Number 4 in the Atlantic at this time.
• Current operations in the Gulf have turned to recovery and clean up, utilizing several technologies including the Heavy Oil Recovery Device (HORD), traditional skimmers, and implementing various long-term beach clean up options.

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Based on this information, there is even less probability of tar balls reaching SC because the well is shut in and the Eddy Franklin Current is not attached to the Loop Current.

Collaboration, Communication and Actions

• DHEC has suspended weekly conference calls for discussion of preparedness issues with SC DNR.
• EMD Conference calls have been suspended for the foreseeable future, but will resume if the need arises.
• DHEC has identified 10 sampling sites for pulling background water samples to be tested for PAH’s (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons) and VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds) in addition to regular beach monitoring parameters. These samples are have been analyzed and no detectable amounts of these compounds were found to be present.
• The USCG  will hold conference calls as the need arises to discuss any concerns that come up. The most recent calls have been to discuss the usage of volunteers should an impact to SC become imminent. Although discussion continues, systems already in place (such as the Emergency Support Function (ESF) 18-volunteer coordination, and the use of organizations such as the United Way, Avian Conservation Center and The Red Cross) will most likely be utilized to coordinate volunteer efforts.
• DHEC EQC personnel will remain vigilant in monitoring for any indication of on the beaches while carrying out their regular duties.

Background

• On the night of April 20, the Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig exploded causing a still on-going leak of crude oil and natural gas from the well into the Gulf of Mexico.
• BP was only able to control a limited amount of oil from the source until July 15 when the well was shut in.
• The USCG is the Federal On-Scene Coordinator working with BP, EPA, NOAA, DOI and the Gulf states in a unified command approach to respond to this spill.
• NOAA continues to make observations and projections of the oil’s movements, with trajectory forecasts out to 72 hours but it’s anticipated that this will be stopped soon due to no surface oil to monitor for recovery
• NOAA spill specialists continue to advise the USCG on cleanup options as well as advising all affected federal, state and local partners on sensitive marine resources at risk in this area of the Gulf of Mexico.
• The average speed of the Gulf Stream is about four miles per hour. The current slows to a speed of one mile per hour as it widens to the north.

Possibilities

• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced on July 30, 2010 that a new analysis showed that the East Coast is unlikely to experience any effects from the remaining oil on the surface of the gulf as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

• IF the heavier oil were to reach the tip of FL (which is roughly 500 miles from the southernmost coast of SC), it would take approximately 5 days for the oil to reach the SC area.
• IF the oil did reach the waters off the coast of SC, it would be carried by the Gulf Stream Current, which is 50 to 60 miles off the coast.
• There are warm water eddies that come from the Gulf Stream that could possibly transport tar balls toward our coast.
• IF this were to be the case, the oil would be so heavily weathered that skimming, dispersants and in-situ burning may not be effective.
• IF oil from this spill does impact the SC coast, BP would still be considered the responsible party. As such, DHEC and DNR would join the unified command and provide input on response efforts.
• DHEC would work within a unified command with other state and federal agencies to monitor for impacts to beaches, marshes and wildlife and would carry out plans already in place to protect these resources and respond to any impact to SC’s coastline. (Coastal SC Area Contingency Plan and the SC Contingency Plan for Spills and Releases of Oil and Hazardous Substances.)

Impacts/Response

• The most likely impacts that SC would see from the oil spill would be a few tar balls. The likelihood of any impact has been greatly diminished now that the cap has been successful and the leak stopped.

Tar Balls

• Tar balls are lumps of oil weathered to a semi-solid or solid consistency and are formed by combining thick oils with debris in the water column. They range in size from a pinhead to approximately  the size of a quarter in diameter.
• There are normally no or minimal health concerns associated with tar balls, however the tar should be removed from skin as soon as practicable. Prolonged contact with some heavy oils may cause an allergic reaction such as a skin rash.
• To remove tar from the skin, rinse the area with fresh water, scrape off the excess tar and wash with warm soapy water, using a surfactant such as Dawn. Rinse again with fresh water. DO NOT USE GASOLINE, SOLVENTS or other such materials that could be worse for the skin that the existing tar.
• Tar balls can be removed from affected areas during routine beach clean up.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q:        What are the current contingency plans for oil spills in South Carolina, and are there plans in place for covering a spill of this type and potential magnitude?

A:         The USCG Coastal SC Area Contingency Plan (ACP) and the SC Contingency Plan for Spills and Releases of Oil and Hazardous Substances were developed to aid in our response to any oil spill occurring in SC coastal waters. The ACP was developed by representatives from USCG, DHEC, DNR, Oil Spill Response Organizations (OSROs) as well as major stakeholders and conservation organizations.

Our existing contingency plans do account for the scale and type of impact we are likely to see based on the current situation. The Gulf oil spill presents a unique release since it is at a depth of about 5,000 feet and about 50 miles off the LA coast. However, if oil reaches SC, we would expect it to be in the form of tar balls and significantly dispersed, which makes it less toxic and have less impact to wildlife. We would not expect to see the quantity of oil stranded on the LA coast here in SC.

Q:        Have you begun actively planning a response to this event? What triggers a response from the USCG and DHEC?

A:         DHEC and the USCG already have plans in place for spills and are in contact with the US EPA and various other federal, state and local entities to discuss preparedness issues in regards to this spill possibly impacting the SC coastline. We plan to continue monitoring the Gulf oil spill on a daily basis, review our plans based on lessons learned there and continue stakeholder coordination meetings as needed that we started back in early May. DHEC will join a unified command with the USCG and other entities/stakeholders if and when an impact becomes imminent, according to NOAA who is closely monitoring the trajectory of the spill. This is very unlikely to occur according to NOAA

Q:        Due to the extent of the response in the Gulf, and the fact that if the oil makes its way up our coast, Florida and Georgia will institute containment measures, will there be available human and mechanical resources to deal with impacts to our area should the need arise?

A:         Each USCG Sector maintains individual area readiness in addition to being able to pull from national resources that are available. The USCG and DHEC’s response contractors have maintained their resources in the area should the need arise for response on our coast. Some private contractor personnel have deployed to the Gulf region to aid in the spill response, but may return in the event of projected impact to SC. The responsible party would also be involved and expected to mobilize resources for any oil spill response necessary for our coast.

Q:        Are there plans in place for expenses related to oil containment and protection of public resources including wildlife and fisheries as well as coastal waters, beaches and marshes?

A:         Both Federal and State laws require the responsible party to provide response resources including covering expenses related to oil spill containment and the public health or environmental impacts a spill may cause. There are mechanisms in place both on the Federal and State level to seek cost recovery for any personnel or spill response resources used during spill response. The State would document all costs related to the spill so proper actions against the responsible party could be pursued. Some of the laws that would cover this spill would be the Federal Oil Pollution Act of 1990, SC’s Oil and Gas Act and the Pollution Control Act.

Q:        If oil reaches the South Carolina coast, there will be many people wishing to volunteer in an effort to minimize damage. Would there be plans for an organized relief effort by volunteers?

A:         In recognition of the valuable role of volunteers in a response, the ACP addresses this issue by creating a Volunteer Unit within the command structure to help provide the necessary training and coordination of volunteers. DHEC and the USCG will work with liaisons from local and state volunteer organizations to identify what resources are available to assist with clean up and recovery efforts. We will use lessons learned from, and possibly join with, existing volunteer programs already in place to coordinate volunteers through the Deepwater Horizon Unified Command in AL, FL, LA and MS.

Q:        Is there any place in SC where I can receive the training that will be necessary to help with the oil should it reach our shores? What if I’d like to train in SC to prepare to help on the Gulf Coast?

A:         There is no place, as of today, that someone in SC can get oil spill-specific training, unless they are already affiliated with a response organization. Some training is offered through already established volunteer organizations such as the United Way, Salvation Army, SC Beach Sweep, SC Bird of Prey (Avian Conservation) Center, etc. These types of organizations may already have some training in place that you may be able to take advantage of in SC, so it would be advisable to contact one of them if you have interest in volunteering here or in the Gulf.

More information on volunteering can be found on the Unified Command’s official response website at:  www.restorethegulf.gov .

Q:        We are planning on vacationing at the beach in SC this summer. Will it still be safe to swim in the water and lay on the beach? Is there any evidence of oil from the BP spill on the east coast yet?

A:         Along with water quality testing at the beaches that SC DHEC performs on a regular basis, additional testing has been performed to test for the presence of oil components in the water. At this time, there is no indication of those compounds in the water around SC’s beaches. SC DHEC is working closely with the USCG and NOAA to monitor the situation in the Gulf. At this time, there is no evidence of oil in the Loop Current, which carries water from the Gulf around the Florida Straights and into the Gulf Stream, which could bring oil to the east coast.

Q:        I would like to take water samples and send them to someone to have them analyzed for testing for the presence of oil. Where should I send them?

A:         The Department will be analyzing for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in addition to the standard parameters normally analyzed in our beach monitoring samples at ten locations along the Coast.  This will provide background water quality information and assist in detecting any impact from the Deepwater Horizon spill.  At this time, the Department does not have the resources to analyze samples collected by the public.

For more information on this response, please see the SC DHEC website at: http://www.scdhec.gov/environment/gulf-oil-spill

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NEWS MEDIA TALKING POINTS, OIL SPILL EFFECTS ON SOUTH CAROLINA

With the containment cap in place, the chances of oil getting into the Atlantic Ocean and threatening South Carolina have greatly diminished.

While the cleanup continues in the Gulf of Mexico, DHEC will continue to monitor the situation closely and be prepared to respond if needed.

SC DHEC is part of a longstanding plan to respond should there be evidence of an oil spill to threaten our coast.

The State of South Carolina has a plan in place to respond to spills of oil and other petroleum products. There is another, larger plan, known as the Charleston Area Contingency Plan, which actively involves state resources. U.S. Coast Guard will activate the Charleston Area Contingency Plan if oil appears off the South Carolina coast. The plan will direct all spill resources to sensitive areas along the South Carolina coast if oil reaches here.  Maps in the plan have re-identified sensitive areas.

Should something like a BP spill happen near South Carolina coastal waters,, DHEC and other agencies are ready to respond.

It is important to note that no oil drilling wells are located in or off South Carolina coastal waters. Should there be an oil spill from another type of incident such as a leak from a tanker or another kind of vessel, a Unified Command would be established under the National Incident Management System with the U.S. Coast Guard as the lead federal agency. This command would involve federal agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior, Homeland Security, the Environmental Protection Agency and others. South Carolina assets from the Department of Health and Environmental Control, Department of Natural Resources and others, and local assets would be utilized. The plan also incorporates any state assets that might be useful in the response, such as the National Guard, and in all likelihood those assets would be coordinated by the South Carolina Emergency Management Division. The South Carolina Oil and Gas Act, Article 3, Pollution Control, establishes DHEC as state lead; federal code 40 CFR 112 establishes the Coast Guard as the federal lead. The plan can be viewed at website www.homeport.uscg.mil.

SC DHEC is actively monitoring coastal waters.

DHEC staff took surf water samples from 10 areas throughout the South Carolina coastline in June to establish a condition baseline for ocean waters. The sampling specifically concentrated on finding evidence of polyaromatic hydrocarbons, known as PAH’s, which would be an indicator of oil in the water. All tests found PAH’s were below any known detection limits. DHEC staff also takes weekly surf water samples to determine the presence of bacteria in the surf. Our staff looks for any evidence of an oil spill or sheen.

We collaborate with others to best utilize resources including volunteers

Staff from SC DHEC and SC DNR would work and collaborate with our counterparts in other affected coastal states to develop protocols to direct volunteer groups into effective channels, to train staff and volunteers on their duties during an oil spill event, and how to best protect public health.