Buzzards Bay Geographic Response Plan For Oil Spill Mitigation On the second anniversary of the Bouchard Barge B-120 oil spill, the United States Coast Guard - MSO Providence approved the Buzzards Bay Geographic Response Plan for Oil Spill Mitigation. The Coalition for Buzzards Bay collaborated with the Coast Guard and twelve other local, state, federal, and private organizations to create plan. The oil spill response plan provides protection strategies for 43 coastal sites in Buzzards Bay from Westport to Cuttyhunk. The strategies are based on science and past experience and focus oil spill response resources on keeping spilled oil out of inlets, rivers, harbors, and salt marshes. Tidal currents are the directing force on an oil spill, so each strategy uses floating booms to deflect the incoming oil to collection points where it can be removed from the waterways. The plan envisions that after the oil spill event, local responders will be the first on site. Then, as outlined in the Oil Spill Prevention Act of 1990, the overall management of the response would shift to a combination of organizations collectively called “Unified Command” and comprised of personnel from the United States Coast Guard, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, and the responsible party. This group would oversee the implementation of the entire plan.
Contact Marine Policy Specialist, Ben Bryant at 508-999-6363, ext. 214, |
