[From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov]





                                                                          Forging New FederalState Partnerships
                   Improving Oil Spill Information
                                                                 for Delaware Bay


                                                                               The Alternatives












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                                       "R   H         x"

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                                   . . . . . . . .











                                           IN
                          On June 24, 1989, the TIV Presidente Rivera produced an oil spill in Delaware Bay of 7,300 barrels of
                          Number 6 oil.








                                                                                        A cooperative project between:

                                                                                U.S. Department of Commerce
                                                                      National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

                                                                                                                    and

                                                                                                State of Delaware
     TD42 7                                                Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
     . P41:4 63
    1994
 







                                                                  This project was initiated at the request of the Delaware De-
                 Origin and Purpose                               partment of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
                                                                  and Delaware Bay and River Cooperative to find a better way
                                                                  of determining resources at risk during an oil spill. NOAA
                                                                  was approached because of its experience in oil spill response,
                                                                  resource assessment, and information management. NOAA
                                                                  agreed to work with the State to provide a "blueprint" or "plan"
                                                                  specifying the necessary components for an oil spill informa-
                                                                  tion system and how it might be developed over several years.
                                                                  The result is three alternatives that will help the State to de-
                                                                  cide the level of resources it wants to apply to improve its oil
                                                                  spill information and information management capabilities.



                 Acknowledgments                                  The Project Team wishes to acknowledge the support and as-
                                                                  sistance of several individuals who contributed significantly
                                                                  to this report. Thomas LaPointe, Chief of NCIAA's Decision
                                                                  Support Systems Branch, provided significant insight into the
                                                                  alternatives presented in this report for developing an oil spill
                                                                  response information system. Daniel Basta, Chief of NOAA's
                                                                  Strategic Environmental Assessments Division, conceived the
                                                                  original approach to developing this report and provided on-
                                                                  going guidance and support. Robert Pavia, Chief of NCIAA's
                                                                  Scientific Support Coordination Branch, offered sound advise
                                                                  on the use and management of information during a spill based
                                                                  on his years of oil spill experience. Eugene Johnson, Presi-
                                                                  dent of the Delaware Bay and River Cooperative (a nonprofit
                                                                  oil spill response group financed through private oil compa-
                                                                  nies with facilities on Delaware Bay), provided partial fund-
                                                                  ing to NOAA for this project. Edwin Levine of NOAA's Haz-
                                                                  ardous Materials Response and Assessment Division provided
                                                                  the cover photo.






                    Improving Oil Spill Information for
                                            Delaware Bay

                                             The Alternatives



                                                  Project Team

                                National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
                                    Strategic Environmental Assessments Division
                                                  John Paul Tolson
                                                   Michael Shelby
                                                  Kim Keeter-Scott

                                Hazardous Materials Response and Assessment Division
                                                    Edwin Levine
                                                    Steve Meador



                                    Delaware Department of Natural Resources
                                            and Environmental Control
                                                   John Mohrman
                                                  Bennett Anderson
                                                    Jamie Bethard



                                                 Genwest Systems
                                                    John Murphy
                                                  Jacqueline McGee


                                                 Funded in part by:

                                         Delaware Bay and River Cooperative





                                                                                   A-h
                                                     May 1994               ikkmolfil

                                                                              W-@
                            LIBRARY
                           NOAA/CCEH
                       1990 HOBSON AVE.
                      CHAS, SC 29408-2623






                                   Summary of the Alternatives

                    Three alternatives characterized by different levels of personnel andfinancial resources have been developed to
                    provide the State of Delaware with choices for building an automated oil spill response information systemfor
                    the Delaware River and Bay. These alternatives, summarized below, are discussed in more detail in this report.


                    1 - Improved Data Management and Electronic Support
                            This alternative would be implemented using existing State personnel who currently are dedi-
                            cated to oil spill response. It features:

                               Development of high priority map information
                               Simple computer mapping
                               Rolodex-"e software and information


                    2       Enhanced Predictability of Resources at Risk
                            Alternative 2 would require: 1) a full-time information management specialist; 2) the realloca-
                            tion of existing State personnel to the equivalent of a full-time employee to develop spill re-
                            sponse information; and 3) the contractual services of a spill trajectory modeling specialist. It
                            includes:


                               All features of Alternative 1
                               Multi-layer electronic mapping
                               Lap-top electronic map access in the field
                               Simplified trajectory modeling for pre-spill planning
                               Additional map information development


                    3       Real-time Logistics Management
                            Alternative 3 would require between $100 and $200K per year for three years, as well as the
                            staff resources in AltematiVE! 2 and small annual network maintenance contracts. It provides
                            for:


                                All features of Alternative 2
                                Remote access network capabilities during a spill
                                Real-time information tracking








                                                                                                Contents

                                                                                                                                                                                               Page

                             Introduction                .......................................................................................................................                     2
                                   Why is a Plan Necessary?                  ........................................................................................................................3
                                   How was this Plan Developed?                         .............................................................................................................4

                             Delaware's Existing System                                ............................................................................................                  6

                             Delaware's Requirements                               ...............................................................................................                   8
                                   Information          ................................................................................................................................................9
                                   Information Management                      .......................................................................................................................9

                             The Alternatives                    ................................................................................................................                   14
                                   Alternative 1 - Improved Data Management and Electronic Support                                                 .............................................    16
                                   Alternative 2 - Enhanced Predictability of Resources at Risk                                      ............................................................   20
                                   Alternative 3 - Real-Time Logistics Management                                  ................................................................................ 24

                             Implementation                     .................................................................................................................                   26

                             Concluding Comments                             ....................................................................................................                   29





                  Introduction

                              PENNSYLVANIA
                                                                                             F -]Main Shipping Channel
                                                                                                 -]State Boundary

                                                                                                    Delaware River Mouth


                                                                                                    Miah Maull Range

                           Chesapeake
                           & Delaware                           NEW JERSEY                          Port Mahon
                           Canal                                                               C
                                                                                             F4 Big Stone Beach Anchorage,

                                                                                                    Delaware Bay Entran ce






                              Smyrna River


                                           Bombay
                                           Hook
                                           Island
                                                                                                                       0
                                                                                                                    60
                                                          3


                                                                                Delaware Bay
                               DELAWARE








                                                                                                  Cape May
                               Broadkill River
                                                                                           5



                                                                          Cape
                                                                          Henlopen

                          This map identifies the sites in Delaware Bay where tanker accidents are most likely to occur. In 1990,
                          nearly 1,000 tankers, 23,000 tugs,, and 13,000 barges carrying crude oil and refined petroleum prod-
                          ucts travelled the Delaware River and Bay. (Source: Ecological Consulting, Inc.; Computer Based
                          Planning for Protectio-I i of Sensitive Delaware Bayshore Habitats from Oil Spill Impact; Portland,
                          Oregon; November 1992)











                 2









                                                                                                                              Introduction


                                                                  This report provides the State of Delaware with alternativesfor
                                 The Plan                         developing an oil spill response information system for Dela-
                                                                  ware River and Bay. Spill responders require prompt informa-
                     ï¿½   IDENTIFIED all oil spill response        tion concerning a spill to effectively conduct cleanup operations
                         information and information              and to prevent extreme economic and biological damage. The
                         management requirements.                 spill response information system discussed in this report is tar-
                                                                  getedfor large spills, such as the 462,000 gallons of crude oilfrom
                     ï¿½   ESTABLISHED priorities among             the T/V Grand Eagle grounding in 1986 or the 307,000 gallons of
                         them.                                    No. 6fuel oil from the TIV Presidente Rivera grounding in 1989.
                                                                  During a typical year since the T/V Presidente Rivera spill, the
                     ï¿½   ESTIMATED the level of effort            State responds to about 12 vessel-related spills in Delaware Bay,
                         required to develop the informa-         each averaging about 6,000 gallons. U.S. Coast Guard statistics
                         tion and information management          for the period between the Grand Eagle and Presidente Rivera
                         needs.                                   spills indicate that about 1,000 spills occurred in Delaware River
                     ï¿½   DEVELOPED realistic alterna-             and Bay, each averaging 150 gallons.
                         tives of resource requirements to        The State's objectives in developing an oil spill response infor-
                         meet information and information         mation system are to: 1) compile information supporting spill
                         management needs.                        response into an automated system; and 2) generate paper cop-
                     ï¿½   BALANCED information needs               ies of this information for use during an oil spill. Aspartofthe
                         with resources available.                Project Team, NOAA and Delaware's Department of Natural Re-
                                                                  sources and Environmental Control (DNREC) have developed a
                     ï¿½   IDENTIFIED specific projects and         plan consisting of three alternatives (pages 14-25) to help meet
                         tasks to meet immediate, mid-            these objectives. Each alternative consists of a different mix of
                         term, and long-term information          information and information management capabilities based on
                         and information management               different levels of resource requirements.
                         needs.


                                                                  Why is a Plan Necessary.?

                  Today, developing information and the capacity to manage it efficiently consists of a complex set of tasks.
                  Information and the technology to manage it are changing rapidly and are challenging to evaluate. Acquir-
                  ing the wrong tools for information management or the wrong information can be costly. As a result, de-
                  tailed planning and specification of system capabilities take on increasingly greater importance. Previously
                  arcane, back-room discussions on such topics as data structure, data organization, and ease of system op-
                  eration must now be considered by resource managers for the effective design and operation of information
                  systems. This plan is a first step in the planning process for an oil spill information system. However, more
                  detailed planning will be required.

                  Delaware must make choices concerning the design and development of an oil spill information system
                  from among: 1) many different types of information needed for effective spill response; 2) different ways to
                  access and manage that information; and 3) the resources needed to develop some combination of both.
                  With this plan, DNREC can balance its needs with its available resources and specify the appropriate mix of
                  information and information management capabilities for development.

                  Effective oil spill response requires significant amounts of information. Knowing the properties of spilled
                  oil, removal options, the spill's trajectory, biological and human resources likely to be affected, availability
                  of cleanup supplies, and how to contact industry and government officials are just some of the information
                  required to effectively manage an oil spill. The ability to access and manage this information during a spill
                  is a prime consideration for spill responders. In this plan, DNREC and NOAA have: 1) identified spill
                  response information and information management requirements; 2) established priorities among them; 3)
                  identified work tasks required to develop the information; and 4) estimated the effort required to accom-
                  plish the work tasks.



                                                                                                                                          3








                 Introduction
                 How was this Plan Developed?

                 The process for developing this plan consisted of: 1) identifying information requirements and establishing
                 the priority of each; 2) defining the characteristics of existing or desired data that satisfied the information
                 requirements; 3) defining the improvements required to the information content and form of existing data;
                 4) identifying work tasks to create the desired data or to improve existing data; and 5) recommending the
                 mix of information content and management capabilities for different resource levels. Participants and
                 their respective roles are noted on page 5.

                 Understanding Information Needs. A three-day meeting with representatives from five divisions of DNREC
                 was conducted in February 1993 to identify the data sets used in oil spill response. The result was a list of
                 over 100 data sets. To make the task of evaluating them manageable, subsequent discussions focused on
                 those data sets of highest priority to DNREC's Division of Air and Waste Management (DAWM), the unit
                 responsible for spill response.

                 Defining "Data Set." Throughout this project, the term "data set" was used to refer to a topic or theme of
                 information. However, to simplify project deliberations, the definition was narrowed to refer to a set of
                 information that can be portrayed on a map or organized into a spreadsheet. This means that narrative
                 reports, diagrams, written procedures, guidelines, policy statements, and similar text-based information
                 were not considered as data sets to be updated or developed. This reduced the number of data sets to be
                 characterized and evaluated to 63.


                 Characterizing Information. DAWM personnel completed three questionnaires (Appendix A) to charac-
                 terize data sets necessary for spill response and specified the desired improvements to their information
                 content, form, and management capabilities. More detailed discussions of desired improvements were
                 conducted at later meetings to supplement and clarify the information provided on the questionnaires.

                 Assessing Resource Requirements. Eighteen work tasks (Appendix B) were identified to develop or im-
                 prove the content of an existing data set or create a new data set. Each data set was evaluated to estimate
                 the work tasks and level of effort required to develop a consistent electronic version of each data set. These
                 estimates, along with estimates on the level of effort for developing the capabilities, are the basis for the
                 information content and management capabilities recommended under the three alternatives presented in
                 this report.























                 4









                                                                                                          Introduction



                                              Participants and their Roles

                          The Strategic Environmental Assessments Division and the Hazardous Material Re-
                          sponse and Assessment Division, Office of Ocean Resources Conservation and As-
                          sessment, NOAA

                          ï¿½  Designed the project
                          ï¿½  Organized and conducted meetings to identify desired information and informa-
                             tion management capabilities
                          ï¿½  Analyzed work tasks required to develop the desired information content
                          ï¿½  Identified and recommended the data sets and information management capa-
                             bilities that could be developed under different alternatives of resource availabil-
                             ity
                          ï¿½  Co-authored final report


                          Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Division
                          of Air and Waste Management

                          ï¿½  Identified information and information management capabilities
                          ï¿½  Set priorities for information
                          ï¿½  Characterized information sources and specified desired improvements to con-
                             tent, form, and information management capabilities of existing data used for
                             spill response
                          ï¿½  Co-authored final report


                          Delaware Bay and River Cooperative

                             Provided partial funding to NOAA to conduct the work





















                                                                                                                     5




                 Delaware's Existing System








                                                                         1V I





                                                                                     'y





                                                                                                              Ph











                    The Delaware Oil Spill Response Contingency Plan, Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) maps, the Dela-
                    ware Bayand River Cooperative Oil Spill Response Plan, and the Shoreline Countermeasures Manual are some
                    of the sources currently used by Delaware oil spill responders during oil spill cleanup operations


















                 6







                                                                                                     Delaware's Existing System


                 State responsibilityfor oil spill cleanup resides with DAWWs Environmental Response Branch (ERB). Six
                 individuals staff the ERB, but personnel from all five divisions of DNREC are available for significant
                 spills. During a spill event, ERB relies on basic spill management information provided in the Delaware
                 Oil Spill Response Contingency Plan. However, the plan does not provide information on resources at risk
                 or shoreline spill management control. For this type of information, ERB must consult and coordinate
                 with the divisions of DNREC or consult other information sources,


                 Oil Spill Response Contingency Plan
                 The Delaware Oil Spill Response Contingency Plan (hereafter, referred to as "the Contingency Plan") is the
                 primary information source for State oil spill responders. It provides 50 appendices including: lists of
                 contacts to notify during a spill; oil removal contractors; tide gates; archeological sites; water intakes; and
                 other information required for logistical support during a spill. Most of this information is in a large spiral-
                 bound notebook and in spreadsheet data files. Also in the Contingency Plan are paper copies of topo-
                 graphic maps marked by hand with important features. Although a very important information source for
                 spill responders, these appendices and maps need to be updated regularly. Adding other information such
                 as species and habitat distributions, shoreline types, and boom locations to maps would greatly enhance
                 the ability of Delaware's oil spill responders to judge the resources at risk during a spill.


                 Intra-agency Coordination
                 Most natural resource information needed by spill responders is obtained simply by calling personnel in
                 the other four divisions of DNREC: Water Resources; Soil and Water; Fish and Wildlife; and Parks and
                 Recreation. This approach has worked well because these organizations have the most current information
                 and firsthand knowledge of resources at risk. Even with a more automated system of retrieving this infor-
                 mation, State spill responders will likely continue to rely on personal contacts within DNREC for the most
                 up-to-date information. However, establishing its own organized file structure for some of this information
                 would help DAWM to access and update information held by other divisions in DNREC.

                 DNREC's geographic information system (GIS) is a potential resource for generating, updating, and main-
                 taining electronic map coverages for an improved spill response mapping capability. Although not cur-
                 rently used by Delaware's spill responders, GIS files can be made compatible with simpler mapping soft-
                 ware for desktop or lap-top field computers. To illustrate this, some of Delaware's GIS files were used to
                 create an electronic map for this project using desktop mapping software (Figure 5, page 26).


                 Mix of Information Sources

                 Other information sources developed by organizations participating in oil spill cleanup operations are valu-
                 able to Delaware's spill responders. Some of these include NOAA Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI)
                 maps, the Delaware Bay and River Cooperative Oil Spill Response Plan, the Shoreline Countermeasures
                 Manual, and NOAA nautical charts. These sources are found in various paper and electronic products.
                 Additional information is also generated after a spill occurs (e.g., spill and weather status, disposal track-
                 ing, and cleanup costs).












                                                                                                                                 7





                       Delaware's Requirements

                                                         Appendix 16.       River We List
                                                           Boom                                         Estimated Boom       24-Hour     24-Hour
                                                           Position                     River Mile      Required at this     Spill       Boom
                                                           Number         Poinl         Location        Site                 Range       Required


                                                             55       Chesapeake and       58.90           1500 feet           66.57      22699
                                                                      Delaware Canal                                          48.85
                                                                      Channel Entrance

                                                                      H - 31, 32, 36, 4043, 46-48, 51, 53, 55, 56, 60, 64, 65, 66, 68, 7075
                                                                      M - 30, 37, 38, 39, 52, 61, 63
                                                                      L - 33, 45, 49


                                                             56       Scoffs Run


                                                             57       Lurns Po






                                                      Sites that require booming....
                                                      are ranked as Ngh, medium'
                                                      or low priority, (locations a
                                                      approximate)..
                                                      4qF6qo4q@ 'High Pnorqltqy Sites,.

                                                             11116q0ium Priority Sites

                                                             Low P0q&
                                                                                                        -Rivq4i, Mile 66.57, Buttq6nwood
                                                                                                         Dyke












                                                                                       x          River Mile 50.90@ Entrance to Chesa       a
                                                                                                  and Delaware Canal










                                                                                                                                       'A"





                                                           River Mile 48.4qK Peach     -
                                                           House Ditch,






                             Automating informationfrom the Oil Spill Response Contingency Plan should make information more por-
                             table and accessible to spill responders as shown here by an electronically generated map of River Milefea-
                             tures.
                                                                                                       6      S
                                                                      L c o t t 8q@sRu n
                                                         ;632qL56q@7           rr.,O4q@
 






                                                                                                                   Delaware's Requirements

                                                                         The primary needs to improve Delaware's current spill re-
                      -Data Set Definitions -                            sponse system are: 1) centralizing information sources that
                                                                         must be located and consulted; 2) updating information
                      ï¿½   Rolodex-type. With one exception,              already in the Contingency Plan; 3) making information in
                                                                         the Contingency Plan notebook more portable and accessible
                          these data sets are developed before
                          spill response and are typically lists         to spill responders; 4) providing spill responders with up-
                          Of names, addresses, phone numbers,            dated paper maps showing specific resources at risk during
                          and response capabilities. They are            a spill; and 5) better managing the information generated
                          easy to develop and update.                    during a spill response.

                      ï¿½   Map-based. These data sets consist
                          of information that can be illustrated
                          on a base map (i.e., the location of           Information
                          tide gates, water intakes, and
                          historical sites). Additional data to          Sixty-three data sets were identified as required to respond
                          characterize these mapfeatures are             effectively to a large oil spill in Delaware Bay. They were
                          also part of these data sets. They are         classified into ten categories and a priority assigned to each
                          developed before responding to a               based on their importance to spill response personnel (Table
                          spill.                                         1). Many data sets in the categories of Contacts, Response
                      ï¿½   Real-time. These data sets (eg., spill         Hardware, Response Services, and Map Information are in
                          status, disposal tracking, cumulative          the Contingency Plan but require routine updates. Others
                          cost of cleanup, etc.), developed              (i.e., shoreline types, boom deployment locations, and prior-
                          during a spill, present a complex              ity options) are found in other sources such as ESI maps, the
                          problem of data input protocols and            Delaware Bay and River Cooperative Oil Spill Response Plan,
                          information management with the                and the Region III Regional Response Team's Shoreline Coun-
                          need to summarize data in real time            termeasures Manual. Still others (e.g., fuel pipelines) need
                                                                         to be developed from several scattered sources.

                   Estimates were made of the effort required to develop/update all 63 data sets or to consolidate them from
                   sources outside the Contingency Plan into a single system (Table 1). The estimates were made for compari-
                   son and provide a relative sense of the effort required. These estimates should be considered approximate
                   only (Appendix B).

                   Data sets were grouped into three types to assign data development to the appropriate alternative of re-
                   source requirements. In general, Rol.odex-type data are developed under Alternative 1; map-based data
                   under Alternative 2; and real-time data under Alternative 3. A few data sets such as those in the categories
                   of Spill References and Response Documentation do not fall into any of the three types.


                   Information Management

                   Delaware's ultimate objective is automated access to all data supporting spill response, with the ability to
                   generate hard copies at the scene of the spill-thus, centralizing all data currently used in spill response
                   now scattered in different reports, agencies, and data files.

                   Of special importance is the need for desktop computer mapping to display features on a map (e.g., points,
                   polygons, or lines), as well as data associated with these features. The map may be a simple one showing a
                   single category of data with a single theme or it may be more complex with multiple data categories and
                   multiple themes. For Delaware's oil spill information system, the geographic areas covered by base maps
                   and the various themes and data categories incorporated on these maps will be the subject of research and
                   experimentation.

                   Examples of other capabilities to be part of its oil spill information system are as follows:
                       Rolodex-type software with find and update capabilities to locate information easily on spill respond-
                       ers, services, and suppliers

                                                                                                                                               9








                       Delaware's Requirements

                         Table 1. Data Sets, Categories, P ioritieqdndq:qLevel qq6qf6qf8q@ort
                                                                     q7-



                                                                                                                              Type of Data Sets            Level of Effort
                                                                                                                                                                       "I
                                                                                                                                                      04,     011      
                                                                                                                                                   4Q      A

                                           Categories (Priority)


                                              Delaware Environmental Alert Call System                                q4q0
                                              DAWM SERT Volunteers and Phone Numbers                                  0q0
                                              DNREC Cellular Phone and Fax Numbers                                    6q0                         q4q0
                                              Emergency Response Agencies, Names & Phone Numbers                      6q0                         6q0
                                              DBRC Member Company, Refineries, and Terminals                          q4q0                        6q0
                                              I ncident-specific Contacts                                             6q0                         6q0
                                            Map Information (2)
                                                                                                                    *&&mod" wwq" qOiddiqfqt*qWd


                                              State/Political Boundaries

                                              Waterbodies

                                              Shoreline

                                              Roads

                                              Cities

                                              Railroads

                                              Bridges
                                              Topography

                                              River/Ocean Mile List

                                              Fixed Station Monitoring Network
                                                                                                                   ;176qM
                                                                                                                          EMqME SqM
                                                                                                                           104qE4qM4qE 4qM0qM qM  4qE4qE 4qM4qS4qE4qE
                                              Shoreline Type                                                                0q0                           q4q0
                                              Wetlands                                                                      6q0                                  0q0
                                              Living Marine Resource Inventory                                              6q0                           q4q0
                                              Boom Deployment Locations                                                                         8q0
                                              Natural Collection Areas                                                      6q0
                                              Staging Areas                                                                 6q0
                                              Bathymetry

                                              Navigation Aids
                                              Recreation Sites
                                              Land Ownership                                                                6q0                   q4q0
                                              Industrial Facilities                                                         0q0                   0q0
                                              Fire Departments/Field Command Posts                                          0q0                   0q0
                                              Fuel Pipelines                                                                4q9
                                              Water Intakes                                                                 4q0                   0q0
                                              Tide Gates                                                                    0q0                   0q0
                                              Archaeological, Historic, and Cultural Sites                                  6q0                   6q0
                                              Shoreline and Water Access Points                                             20q0



                                              Delaware Tide Tables & Tidal Currents
                                          40q@qD



                       10
 






                                                                                                                                                Delaware's Requirements

                         Table 1. Data Sets, Categories, Priorities, and Level of Effort (Continued),


                                                                                                                   Type of Data Sets              Level of Effort
                                                                                                                                                    4Z,      4"
                                                                                                                                                            0
                                                                                                                                                    0              411
                                                                                                                                                                  0

                               Categories (Priority)                                                                                                 0


                                 Early Assessment Equipment and Supplies
                                 Communication Equipment                                                   49                        0
                                 Communication Frequencies                                                 0                       -0
                                 Helicopters Available                                                     0                         0
                                 Boats Available                                                           0                         0
                                 Spill Management (5)

                                 Status Board
                                 Health and Safety Plan
                                 Priority Cleanup Options by Site
                                 Logistics Tracking
                                 Work Plan

                                 Cost Tracking
                                 Disposal Tracking
                                 Response Services (6)
                                 Cleanup Contractors
                                 Wildlife Coordinators/Rehabilitators                                      0                         0

                                 Qualified Laboratories

                                 Spill References (7)
                                 Spill Products vs. Chemical Products
                                 Chemicals Allowed for Use

                                 Dispersant Evaluation
                                 Spill Impacts (8)
                                 Post Spill, Preimpact Baseline

                                 Spill Impacts (9)
                                 Impacts, Actual (Shoreline)
                                 Impacts, Actual (Water)
                                 Spill Impacts (10)
                                 Natural Resource Impacts
                                 Natural Resource Monitoring, Short-Term
                                 Natural Resource Monitoring, Long-Term
                                 Response Documentation (11)

                                 Response Documentation
                                 Damage/Natural Resource Damage Documentation
                                 Cost Recovery
                                 Final Report
                                 Response Locations (Undefined)
                                 Public Use Airports







                 Delaware's Requirements

                                                                   Electronic spreadsheets to organize information to be added to
                     Information Management                        electronic maps

                    Information management refers to the           Real-time information tracking during a spill provided by
                    techniques and types of software tools         network software and data entry to electronic forms
                    available,to manage, access, and ana-
                    lyze information contained in the data
                                                                Other capabilities listed in the sidebar are discussed in each alter-
                    sets used in oil spill response. Infor-     native (pages 16-25).
                    mation management capabilities de-
                    sired by Delaware include:
                                                                Most capabilities can be develo ed with commercially available
                                                                                                   P
                        Electronic Rolodex                      software. Also, NOAA has adapted some of these capabilities in
                                                                its Computer-Aided Management of Emergency Operations
                        Electronic forms                        (CAMEOTM) system and compatible "spill tools" that have been
                                                                developed to specifically address oil spill response requirements.
                    0   Desktop electronic mapping              CAMEO is a group of modules that can be combined to meet spe-
                                                                cific information requirements. Each module provides: 1) a
                    *   Graphic di lAy software
                                                                simple, easily understood design and 2) the ability to be adapted
                                                                to local situations. It is a combination of information and deci-
                    ?   Electronic spreadsheet                  sion tools that include chemical information and other data bases,
                        Model Iling                             adaptable templates for managing information, simulation mod-
                                                                els that help decision makers interpret information, maps show-
                                                                Ing spatial relationships among data and the results of simula-
                        Real-time information tracking
                                                                tion models, and searching and reporting capabilities.
                        Remote access network
                                                                The Delaware Fire Academy has already adopted CAMEO as its
                        Relational d@td base ma InageIm Ient    official emergency management software for hazardous material
                                                                incidents. With little alteration, CAMEO can be used to accom
                                                                modate some of Delaware's oil spill information management
                needs. Rolodex-type data sets and spill reference data (e.g., oil properties) can be incorporated into CAMEO.
                Also, a significant percentage of information currently in CAMEO is common to the needs of two emer-
                 gency response groups in DNREC.


























                12







                                                                                                           Delaware's Requirements





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                                                 M E
                     Computer access to maps, data, and automated information management is Delaware's ultimate objectivefor
                     improving its ability to manage oil spill cleanup in Delaware River and Bay.

























                                                                                                                                   13





                    The Alternatives

                     iable 2. Cont@ to
                                       n f Each Alternatim,





                                                                                                      4P
                                                                                                   0         A0 4;
                                                                                                            0

                                                                                                                                   4e


                           Data Set Category (Priority)
                           Contacts (1)                                                    0            0
                           Map Information (2)
                            Base Maps                                                      0
                            Map Content                                                    0
                           Spill References (3)*                                           0
                           Response Hardware (4)                                           0
                           Spill Management (5)                                            G            G           1!@
                           Response Services (6)                                           E)           0           0

                           Spill References (7)
                           Spill Impacts (8)
                           Spill Impacts (9)                                                            G
                           Spill Impacts (10)*
                           Response Documentation (11)                                     a            0           Q            G

                           Information Management Capabilities

                           Bound or Loose-leaf Volume
                           Electronic Spreadsheet

                           Electronic Rolodex
                           .Simple Deskto LComputer Mapping
                           Display Software (Graphics for Maps)
                           Advanceqpes@@@@                                                                                       I/
                           Modelling

                           Data File Management

                           Electronic Forms

                           Tracking

                           Remote Access Network

                           Relational Data Base Management

                           *Categories appear more than once because priorities reflect the different data sets within categories.
                           See Table I (pages 10 & 11) for the data sets included in each category/priority combination.

                             Data sets complete                    Data sets exist but need               Data sets partially complete
                                                                   to be updated
                             Presence of capability under Delaware's existing spill response system or under the proposed
                             alternatives.






                    14








                                                                                                                 The Alternatives

                 Three alternatives of increasing levels of resource investment, each spanning three years, are proposed to
                 develop different mixes of information and information management capabilities, with thefeatures of each
                 alternative building on the previous one. Table 2 summarizes the information content and capabilities of
                 Delaware's existing spill response system and those that would exist under each of the three proposed
                 alternatives. Each alternative is discussed in this section.


                 What is Included?

                 The first alternative makes maximum use of dedicated spill response personnel in the DAWM. Emphasis is
                 on developing simple Rolodex-type data files, map information content, and simple electronic mapping
                 capabilities.

                 The second provides for a full-time data base administrator dedicated to developing all information man-
                 agement capabilities and maintaining all data files. The equivalent of a second full-time individual from
                                                        3
                 within DNREC would aid in assembling information needed for spill response. Emphasis would be on
                 developing the additional map information content. The contractual services of a modeling expert may be
                 required to run and interpret results of an oil spill trajectory model.

                 The third assumes that $100 to $200K per year (for three years) is available for contract work to develop
                 software and procure hardware for managing information generated during a spill. This would include a
                 remote access network to centralize and track information during response operations.

                 Three alternatives are proposed for several reasons. First, each provides for development of distinctly dif-
                 ferent sets of information and capabilities. Second, succeeding alternatives provide for significant levels of
                 increased data and data management over Delaware's existing system and each other. Third, the resources
                 required by each are modest and reasonable. Finally, three alternatives are a manageable number to con-
                 sider and are points of departure for developing other mixes of information and capabilities. Presenting
                 more than three could blur the distinction among them.


                 What is not Included?

                 Three questionnaires were used to develop the contents of data sets needed for spill response (Appendix A).
                 A few data sets and one information management capability are not covered under any of the three resource
                 alternatives. They are:

                 ï¿½   Data Sets Requiring Field Work. Two data sets, dispersant evaluation and post spill/pre-impact baseline,
                     would require significant field work to develop the information desired by Delaware's spill responders.
                     Dropping the development of these data sets under these alternatives is recommended because of the
                     estimated two-year effort level required.

                 ï¿½   Response Documentation Data Sets. Developing these data sets depends on the remote access net-
                     work, electronic forms, and the information tracking capabilities under Alternative 3. Response docu-
                     mentation would draw on the spill management information and spill impacts documentation that will
                     be generated with the electronic forms and information tracking capabilities.

                 ï¿½   Delaware Tide Tables and Tidal Currents. This data is generated by software already used by Delaware
                     spill responders. No updates or additional information is required.

                 ï¿½   Relational Data Base Capability. This refers to the ability to associate information from different data
                     sets. To do this, special software, special design of data tables, and relational data base management
                     expertise are required. Delaware should consider developing this capability only after implementing
                     all others.






                                                                                                                                15









                 Alternative 1


                      Alternative 1 - Improved Data Management & Ele@trojftic Support

                 This alternative callsfor one to two individualsfrom      a  Water intakes
                 the existing staff of the DA%W to be responsiblefor       9  Fire departments/ field command posts
                 several information development and management            e  Staging areas
                 activities. These would be conducted as time per-         9  Archaeological, historic, and cultural sites
                 mitted between spills and other duties, and would         *  Recreational sites
                 include: 1) updating simple data sets used in spill       9  Navigational aids (will require NOAA's assis-
                 response; 2) incorporating that data onto Rolodex            tance)
                 or data base software for easy access; and 3) devel-      9  Land ownership
                 oping a simple desktop computer mapping capabil-          e  Industrial facilities
                 ity (Figure 1). This mapping capability will improve,
                 but not replace, reliance on hard-copy lists, maps,       RESPONSE HARDWARE
                 and notebooks during a spill.
                                                                           0  Early assessment equipment and supplies
                                                                           0  Cornmw-iication equipment
                 Resource Requirements                                     &  Communications frequencies
                                                                           0  Helicopters available
                 ï¿½ One to two individuals from existing spill re-          &  Boats available
                    sponse staff for about 36 person-weeks a year for
                    three years                                            RESPONSE SERVICES

                 ï¿½ $10-$15K for computer hardware and software             * Cleanup contractors
                                                                           ï¿½ Wildlife coordinators /rehabilitators
                                                                           ï¿½ Qualified laboratories
                 Data Sets to be Updated or Developed                      RESPONSE LOCATIONS

                 CONTACTS                                                  0 Public use airports
                    Delaware environmental alert call system               Comments and Considerations
                    DAWM SERT volunteers and phone numbers                 While data sets in the Map Information category are
                    DNREC cellular phone and FAX numbers                   a higher priority, those in the Response Hardware,
                    Emergency response agencies/names and phone            Response Services, and Response Locations catego-
                    numbers                                                ries would require only about 17% of staff resource
                    Delaware Bay and River Cooperative member              time under this alternative to update or develop the
                    company, refineries, and terminals                     data sets. This would complete all the Rolodex-type
                                                                           data sets under Alternative 1.
                 MAP INFORMATION (BASE MAP)
                 ï¿½  State/political boundaries                             Information Management Capabilities
                 ï¿½  Waterbodies                                                                     It 1 11 - I
                 ï¿½  Shoreline                                                 Data base or Rolodex-type software with search,
                 ï¿½  Roads                                                     find, and update capabilities for easy access to
                 ï¿½  Cities                                                    the information content of data sets in the Con-
                 ï¿½  Railroads                                                 tacts, Response Hardware, Response Services
                 ï¿½  Bridges                                                   and Response Location categories
                 ï¿½  Topography
                 ï¿½  River/ocean mile list                                  0  Spreadsheet software for managing the data as-
                 ï¿½  Fixed station monitoring network                          sociated with points, polygons, and vectors of
                                                                              data sets in the Map Information category dis-
                 MAP INFORMATION (MAP CONTENT)                                played on base maps of Delaware Bay

                 ï¿½ Shoreline type                                          0  Desktop mapping software for creating simple
                 ï¿½ Tide gates                                                 thematic maps

                 16









                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Alternative I


                                                              Figure 1. Major Features of Alternative I




                                                                                                                                                                        [email protected],


                                                                                                                                                    LAST NAME                 l1qpp                                                                                                           FIRST
                                                                                                                                                                                          pffl.!JpJn!@rpri as
                                                                                                                                                                                                                             :s     I.......................................  ...................              ............I.....................................................
                                                                                                                                                    POSITION                                                                                                                                  CONTACT
                                                                                                                                                                              ....................  .................................. ................................................................. TYPE I Emergency Contact                                _J
                                                                                                                                                    FRCILITY/ORGq.,                  ......   .... ....    ......................................................................................... m"o.0 . ..................................................................
                                                                                                                                                    ORGAN'ZATIONF@-pillCle@n-Up Co                                                                                                I  RESOURCE          .FS-pill Sorbent Materials
                                                                                                                                                    TYPE                                                           mpany                                                              TYPE

                                                                                                                                                    STREET                                                              ............. ............................I......................                                                               X 24 HR
                                                                                                                                                    CITY                                                     ............................................I.................................                                                                  24 HR
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            ...............................................

                                                                                                                                                    STATE                                                            POSTAL CODE                                  ..................          FAX        ................. ..................................
                                                                                                                                                    DISTRICT                  ........................ ........................                                                               MODIFICATION DATE 1/3/94


                                                                                                                                                    Moppern           Up      E nte r pri sea can be on t he scene of a a pil I a nywhere i n the state wi t hi n two ho urs
                                                                                                                                                    and has enough sorbent materials on hand to clean up a 100,000 gallon spill. Materials to clean
                                                                                                                                                    up spills of greater magnitude can be delivered to the company within 24 hoursi









                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Shoreline Historic Properties
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 (Locations are approximate)










































                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              0



                                                                                                  Two majorfeatures of Alternative 1 are spill response information on Rolodex-type software
                                                                                                from CAMEOTM(above) and a desktop computer map with a single theme of information (be-
                                                                                                 low),

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          17









                 Alternative I

                 ï¿½   Display software for enhancing and printing          mapping capability will provide simple thematic
                     hard-copy maps created with mapping software         maps (i.e., a single layer or theme of information
                                                                          added to a base map). The maps would be printed
                 ï¿½   Bound or loose-leaf volume of simple thematic        from graphics software that can be used to enhance
                     maps and associated data generated in desktop        the display of maps created in a mapping applica-
                     mapping software for use in the field during spill   tion. They would be bound or placed in a loose-leaf
                     response                                             volume with spreadsheets of accompanying data that
                                                                          could be taken into the field during spill response.
                 Comments and Considerations                              An example of a simple thematic map of Delaware
                 For each information management capability asso-         Bay is shown in Figure 1.
                 ciated with computer software, research will be con-
                 ducted to determine: 1) the most appropriate appli-      Creating thematic maps will require some assistance
                 cation; 2) an acquisition process for the software; 3)   from DNREC's geographic information system (GIS)
                 training of spill response personnel in software use;    to provide the necessary geographic files. NOAA
                 and 4) data input. All software would be commer-         experimented with the development of a desktop
                 cially available off the shelf.                          map of the Little Creek, Delaware 1:24,000-quad us-
                                                                          ing existing geographic coverages available from
                 Most of the work effort to implement this alternative    DNREC's GIS. Electronic map files were converted
                 will be spent developing the electronic mapping ca-      to a file format compatible with desktop mapping
                 pability. This includes designing a system of maps       software. Point features such as tide gates, marinas,
                 and their information content, developing data for       and archaeological sites shown on the Little Creek
                 map information, implementing the design, and            quad map in the existing Delaware Oil Spill Response
                 training in the use of desktop mapping software. The     Contingency Plan were transferred to a NOAA nau-


                 Figure 2. Map of Little Creek, Delaware area










                                                                                                                   Did Creek Mouth

                                                                                                                  Simons River Mouth














                                                                                                                     ort Mahon
                                                                                                                    Port Mahon Light


                                                                                                                 Port Mahon Road
                                                                                                                 Bridge


                                                                                                                 U te River Mouth
                                                                                                                 Little River ride Gut


                                                                                                                 Gut North of Pickering Beach
                                                                                                                 Pickering Beach North Ditch

                                                                                                                 Pickering Beech
                                                                                                                  Levvis Ditch Mouth










                 18









                                                                                                                 Alternative I

                tical chart of the area. Latitude and longitude coor-
                dinates for these points were generated by electroni-
                cally scanning the nautical chart. These points were
                then added to the map files obtained from the GIS.
                A map of the area is shown in Figure 2.

                 Summary

                This alternative provides a cost-effective means of
                achieving the objectives of Delaware spill respond-
                ers to develop a computer mapping capability and
                update many important data sets. It can be imple-
                mented at a small cost for several pieces of computer
                software and perhaps an additional computer work
                station. No major changes in personnel within
                DAWM would be required; only a change of respon-
                sibilities related to information management would
                be required for one or two individuals. This alterna-
                tive is a solid step toward building information man-
                agement skills in support of DAWM's mission of spill
                response.
















































                                                                                                                            19









                  Alternative 2


                        Alternative 2 -. Enhanced Predictability of Resources at Risk

                  This alternative providesfor the hiring of afull-time     SPILL MANAGEMENT
                  information management specialist and the equiva-         e Priority cleanup options by site
                  lent of a full-time employee from within existing
                  DNREC personnel. The information management               SPILL REFERENCES
                  specialist would be responsible for: 1) conducting
                  all software and hardware research, acquisition, and      * Spill products vs. chemical products
                  testing; 2) training others in the use of all hardware
                  and software; 3) managing all electronic data files       Comments and Considerations
                  and hard-copy information sources used in spill re-       As a group, the data sets proposed for development
                  sponse; 4) managing all electronic mapping; 5) over-      under this alternative pose the most challenges. The
                  seeing simplified trajectory model runs for pre-spill     technical transfer of existing wetlands, bathymetry,
                  planning (Figure 3); and 6) updating and developing       and living marine resources data to a cornmon set
                  data sets. The full-time individual allocated from        of electronic base maps designed specifically for
                  existing personnel in DNREC would develop infor-          Delaware oil spill response may pose problems due
                  mation necessary for spill response.                      to file size, "edge matching" or congruency, and dif-
                  The major differences between this and the first al-      ferences in scales. Assembling data sets from mul-
                  ternative are the development of multi-layer elec-        tiple sources will be especially challenging for fuel
                  tronic mapping, the use of a simplified spill trajec-     pipeline, shoreline, and water access points on Dela-
                  tory modelfor pre-spill planning, and the develop-        ware River and Bay due to the potentially large
                  ment of additional map-based data.                        number of sources to be contacted. During the
                                                                            course of this project, several of these data sets re-
                                                                            quired special consideration as discussed below.
                  11, ke-source Requi  Irem ents.                           Living Marine Resource Inventory. Initial discussion
                  ï¿½ All personnel resources available in                    of this data set revealed the desire to conduct a
                    Alternative 1                                           lengthy synthesis of existing information sources.
                                                                            Delaware hoped to gather enough existing infor-
                  ï¿½ One full-time information manager for three years       mation, with updated supplements from annual
                  ï¿½ One full-time equivalent position from within ex-       surveys, to show the seasonal distribution of fish,
                    isting DNREC personnel for three years                  mammals, birds, and invertebrates by life stage and
                                                                            habitat on desktop maps of Delaware Bay. Estimates
                  ï¿½ $15-$20K for computer hardware and software             to complete this effort were two person-years, Rea-
                                                                            sons that could significantly increase the estimated
                  ï¿½ $25K for modeling specialist contract                   two person-year effort for building this data set are:
                                                                              including too many species in the data set. Only
                  )Data Sets to be Updated or Developed                       the most important from a recreational, commer-
                                                                              cial, or ecological standpoint may suffice.
                  DATA SETS FROM ALTERNATIVE 1                                attempting to include too much detail on spatial
                  MAP INFORMATION                                             and temporal locations and distributions. While
                                                                              studies for some species may be very detailed,
                  ï¿½ Living marine resource inventory                          others may be less detailed. However, all sources
                                                                              will have to fit into a common information frame-
                  ï¿½ Wetlands                                                  work and this typically reduces the data to the
                  ï¿½ Shoreline and water access points                         broadest level.
                  ï¿½ Fuel pipelines                                            establishing the study design and methods. A sig-
                                                                              nificant amount of time needs to be spent "up
                  ï¿½ Bathymetry (will require NOAA's assistance)               front" to design the process for gathering and re-
                                                                              viewing information. Numerous "dry runs" to
                  ï¿½ Boom deployment locations                                 test the methods will also be required.

                  20









                                                                                                                                                                              Alternative 2


                          Figure 3. Major Features of Alternative 2



                                                                                                                 10-1 Tide GatesiWater Control Structures

                                                                                                                      Shoreline Histonc Properties

                                                                                                                      Welland Areas







                                                                          0



















                                                                                                   NOTE: Locations are approximate






















                                                                                        Ben     i Pt.



                                                                                     Deep
                                                                                    Water
                                                                                     F,                    Eg
                                                                                                             9 Island Pt.      DAY 3




                                                                                                                    DAY 2

                                                                                                                           .7
                                                                                                                            oe

                                                                                                                            .2 v t
                                                                                                            DAY 1



                                                                                                                                  Cape  May




                                                                                                                Cape Henlopen



                                                  Two majorfeatures of Alternative 2                     are multi-theme desktop computer mapping
                                                  (above) and simplified spill trajectory modelingfor pre-spill planning (below).


                                                                                                                                                                                                21









                   Alternative 2

                   ï¿½ underestimating the amount of time required to        - Bound or loose-leaf notebook with various        spill
                   locate all data sources and to conduct a peer re-         scenarios as projected by the NOAA trajectory
                   view.                                                     models


                   ï¿½organizing and inputting the information for com-      9 Full-time data file management of oil spill response
                   puter maps. Deciding how to represent this infor-         information
                   mation on a desktop computer map and defining
                   every step to put it into a computer will require       * Full-time configuration of management design and
                   substantial thought and testing.                          implementation of all software and data for com-
                                                                             puters used by spill responders
                   Due to the likelihood for delay, the use of existing
                   Environmental Sensitivity Index maps and Research       9 Spill responder hardware and software training
                   Planning Institute (RPI) seasonal species distribution
                   maps for mapped information on living marine re-        Comments and Considerations
                   sources is recommended.                                 Multi-layer Desktop Computer Mapping. Desktop com-
                                                                           puter mapping refers to the creation, use, and analy-
                   Wetlands. Incorporating digital wetland map files       sis of electronic maps by nontechnical professionals.
                   from the National Wetlands Inventory on desktop         Multi-layer mapping refers to different themes of
                   maps is estimated to require 26 person-weeks. Be-       information presented as different layers of a single
                   cause these files already exist and are available from  electronic map. The mapping software should be able
                   DNREC's GIS, this may appear to be an overestimate-     to "look through" the layers where a spill has occurred
                   However, significant amounts of work could be re-       or is likely to travel to determine the resources that
                   quired to separate different wetland types from the     may be affected. The objective would be to gain ex-
                   existing GIS file to place them on desktop maps. Until  perience with the types of contingencies posed by
                   the configuration of desktop maps is specified, and     spills under various conditions.
                   the content and structure of existing GIS wetland files
                   are analyzed, a more accurate estimate of the level Of  Designing a map system for multi-layer thematic
                   effort can not be obtained.                             mapping will also require extensive experimentation
                                                                           to find the appropriate combination of geographic
                   Boom Deployment Locations. Developing a data set on     areas and thematic layers. Obvious options for geo-
                   precise boom deployment locations for over 50 sites     graphic map areas include the entire Delaware River
                   in Delaware Bay originally was estimated to require     and Bay and adjacent lands, the area of each USGS
                   two person-years to conduct the necessary field tests-  7.5-minute quad covering Delaware Bay, smaller grid
                   However, by using the existing Delaware Bay and         areas within each USGS quad now depicted on maps
                   River Cooperative's Oil Spill Response Plan, getting    in the Delaware Oil Spill Response Contingency Plan.
                   this information onto desktop maps and construct-
                   ing a data file on the boom placement locations is      Regardless of the number of maps, including all
                   estimated to only require about four person-weeks.      themes of information on each map would be im-
                                                                           practical. Also, the size of the electronic map file
                   information Management Capabilities                     would be too large to open easily. Consequently,
                                                                           Delaware would have to follow a trial-and-error pro-
                   ï¿½ Rolodex and spreadsheet capabilities from Alter-      cess to determine the optimum combination of spa-
                   native 1                                                tial areas covered on a map and the various layers to
                                                                           be placed on the map.
                   ï¿½ Multi-layer electronic mapping including experi-      To help determine the optimum combination of geo-
                   mentation to design optimum map configuration           graphic areas, base map geography, and data for
                   and content, and implementation of map design           desktop maps, DNREC can use its GIS capabilities.
                                                                           Existing geographic coverages from the GIS can be
                   ï¿½Running a simplified spill trajectory model for        transferred to desktop mapping packages with little
                   planning purposes to predict the movement of            difficulty, assuming all coverages have been subjected
                   spilled oil and resources at risk at different loca-    to quality control. The process will include building
                   tions in Delaware River and Bay under different         a library of boundary files to determine the best mix
                   meteorological and hydrodynamic conditions              of base map information. The library would be used


                   22









                                                                                                                      Alternative 2

                 to build a series of base maps. Data could then be        the possibility of misinterpreting model results. Re-
                 incorporated with these base maps for use in the field    gardless of the complexity of the model selected, us-
                 either electronically on a lap-top computer or bound      ing a modeling tool should be one of the last items
                 in a series of printed maps.                              undertaken as part of this alternative.

                 Changes to base map geography should be com-
                 pleted using the GIS because of the ease in mainte-        SummarY
                 nance. The boundary file library would then be up-
                 dated after these changes were made using the GIS.        Alternative 2 will require a modest annual increase
                 This library would make updating a particular layer       in DAWM's budget. This will pay for a mid-level
                 on desktop maps trivial. Incorporating data to these      information management specialist, a one-time cost
                 updated geographic map layers would be easy with          for computers and software for the management spe-
                 a properly maintained and structured library of           cialist and spill response personnel, and perhaps, a
                 boundary files. One person should document how            modeling specialist to conduct a series of model runs.
                 to update the boundary file library and how to in-        It provides a more complete development of the com-
                 corporate other data into the library in the future.      puter mapping capability sought by spill respond-
                                                                           ers than provided by Alternative 1. Shifting some
                 Simplified Trajectory Modeling. Undertaking the use       job responsibilities and increasing the level of coor-
                 of a trajectory model should not be done lightly or       dination among DNREC units would be required to
                 without considerable forethought. The ability to in-      support development of information for spill re-
                 terpret model results is an important consideration       sponse by DNREC personnel. This alternative sig-
                 before using this tool as part of an oil spill informa-   nificantly increases DAWM's ability to develop and
                 tion system. Trajectory modeling would provide a          manage oil spill information.
                 capability for pre-spill planning, but would not be       The information content and management capabili-
                 used during a spill.                                      ties to be developed in Alternative 2 could be devel-
                 Using a trajectory model could serve two purposes.        oped independently. The map information data sets
                 First, it could be used to predict the areas of highest   can be incorporated in the simple desktop mapping
                 probability of spill impact prior to spill events. This   capabilities identified in Alternative 1. The advanced
                 would require a large number of model runs to ac-         mapping and simplified modeling capabilities do not
                 count for various meteorological conditions, spill        require specific data sets. This is not the case in Al-
                 volumes, and types of material spilled. It would also     ternative I or 3 where data sets and capabilities de-
                 need to be run for many different locations in Dela-      pend more on one another.
                 ware River and Bay, such as those with the greatest
                 likelihood of tanker accidents (see page 2). A thor-
                 ough understanding of statistics would be necessary
                 to interpret model results. The results of various
                 model runs could be added as separate layers to
                 multi-layer desktop maps and/or printed for a loose-
                 leaf notebook. Second, model runs could be used to
                 evaluate spill response plans. These would help to
                 determine if resources available to cleanup a spill
                 measure up to the requirements for spills of differ-
                 ent magnitudes.

                 Depending on the complexity of the trajectory model,
                 a modeling specialist may need to be hired to run it
                 and interpret the results. NOAA's Hazardous Mate-
                 rials Response and Assessment Division is currently
                 developing a trajectory model for planning. It pro-
                 vides a simplified user interface and a more sophis-
                 ticated display of model results than. the Oil Spill
                 Simulation Model (OSSM), its current modeling tool.
                 This reduces the need for training in model use and



                                                                                                                                  23









                  Alternative 3


                                  Altemative 3 - Real-Time Logistics Management

                  Alternative 3 provides for a remote access network          Information ManaAem            ,ent Capabilities'
                  that will allow for real-time information manage-
                  ment during a spill, in addition to the capabilities        0  All capabilities from Alternatives I and 2
                  and data sets developed under Alternative 2. Be-
                  tween $100K and $200K annuallyfor three years may           0  Electronic forms for generating and managing
                  be needed to implement network capabilities. These             information during a spill
                  will enable information tracking and allow summary
                  reports to be generated during the course of a spill.       .  Tracking software to maintain real-time data
                                                                                 summaries completed during spill response at
                  Resource Requirements                                          multiple sites
                  ï¿½ All personnel, hardware, software, and contract           0  A remote access network (Figure 4) to allow ac-
                     costs under Alternative 2                                   cess to a single source of real-time information
                                                                                 that could be updated by responders during a
                  ï¿½  $100-$200K per year for three years                         spill

                  Comments and Considerations                                 Comments and Considerations
                  The additional funds for this alternative are for con-      Many individuals may complete an array of differ-
                  tract work to develop electronic forms, tracking soft-      ent forms during spill response. Some of these in-
                  ware, and remote access network capabilities.               clude: 1) status board forms to document environ-
                                                                              mental conditions during a spill; 2) work plan forms
                                                                              to direct cleanup workers what to do on a daily ba-
                  Data Sets to be Updated or Developed                        sis; 3) health and safety plan forms that are completed
                                                                              shortly after a spill and before commencing cleanup;
                  DATA SETS FROM ALTERNATIVE 2                                and 4) shoreline evaluation forms to document spill
                                                                              impacts. Many paper copies of each form may be
                  CONTACTS                                                    completed during a spill. However, the information
                     Incident-specific contacts                               in these forms is often lost in the confusion of cleanup
                                                                              activities. One of Delaware's objectives is the capa-
                  SPILL MANAGEMENT                                            bility to input the data on these forms to an electronic
                                                                              network so it can be stored and accessed at any time
                  ï¿½  Status boards                                            during or after cleanup. This will help to document
                  ï¿½  Logistics tracking                                       events and conditions during a spill's damage docu-
                  ï¿½  Health and safety plan                                   mentation stage. However, this capability would
                  ï¿½  Cost tracking                                            present a difficult logistical problem when more than
                  ï¿½  Disposal tracking                                        one individual is completing forms and when re-
                                                                              sponders are in multiple staging areas during spill.
                  SPILL IMPACTS                                               cleanup.

                  ï¿½ Impacts, actual (shoreline)                               Tracking personnel, costs, and equipment is another
                  ï¿½ Impacts, actual (water)                                   difficult logistical problem during a spill response.
                                                                              Software that would enable spill responders to re-
                  Comments and Considerations                                 ceive daily summaries on personnel placement,
                  Data sets recommended under Alternative 3 that              equipment movement, spill cleanup status, and ex-
                  were not developed under Alternative 2 are not gen-         penditures on personnel, equipment, and supplies
                  erated until after a spill. However, the data attributes    could make spill cleanup and cost recovery more ef-
                  and standard entries required must be known when            ficient. To effectively track and summarize informa-
                  spill responders "fill in the blanks" of an electronic      tion generated during a spill, data entries would have
                  form. Therefore, the major effort involved in these         to be made to a central data base. This action would
                  data sets is to specify data attributes (or the labels on   require the establishment of a remote access network
                  the computer screen) and standard data entries re-          so Delaware spill responders, some equipped with
                  quired.                                                     portable computers, can input their data to a central

                  24









                                                                                                                     Alternative 3


                data base where all information could be summa-            impacted by an oil spill until they recover completely.
                rized.                                                     This will require the development of other data sets
                                                                           that keep track of econon-dc and biological losses and
                Developing the software capability for completing          recovery at spill sites. Development of these data
                computer forms to track information and material           sets would fall under the capabilities associated with
                flow and to generate real-time summaries is the prov-      this alternative.
                ince of private software firms who develop these ca-
                pabilities for commercial purposes. These include
                inventory control, delivery service tracking, and res-     Summary
                ervation systems. Since this is a one-time develop-
                mental effort that requires specialized software en-       Alternative 3 will require the largest annual increase
                gineering and programming skills, a contract with          in DAWM's budget, enough to cover the informa-
                an experienced firm will likely be the most cost-          tion management specialist in Alternative 2 and a
                effective approach to building these capabilities.         contract to develop a remote access network. In ad-
                Contract management would be the responsibility            dition, a small annual maintenance contract for the
                of the data base administrator identified in Alterna-      network software would be necessary once a network
                tive 2.                                                    was established. This alternative is a major shift in
                                                                           how the State manages information during a spill.
                Since completing the work to define data sets associ-      However, Delaware should consider implementing
                ated with each alternative, Delaware has been made         Alternatives 1 and 2 before attempting to implement
                aware of new Federal requirements to monitor sites         Alternative 3.

                 Figure 4. Major Features of Alternative 3




















                                                 Dover


















                                            The majorfeature of this alternative is a remote access network
                                           for real-time information during a spill.

                                                                                                                                 25




                               Implementation

                                 Figure 5. Potential Base Map Areasfor Delaware's Oil Spill Information System










                                                                                                                                                                                                          Old Cneek MoU(h

                                                                                                                                                                                                        Simons Ri- Mouth













                                                                                                                                                                                                              on Mahon
                                                                                                                                                                                                            Pon Mahon Ught


                                                                                                                                                                                                        Pon Mahon Road
                                                                                                                                                                                                        Bridg.


                                                                                                                                                                                                        LN: R er Mouth
                                                                                                                                                                                                        U13 RiverTdeGut


                                                                                                                                                                                                        Gut North of      8osch
                                                                                                                                                                                                        Pickering Be= Ditch

                                                                                                                                                                                                        Pikring Beach
                                                                                                                                                                                                        Lems Ditch Mouth





                                    The grid on the left represents potential base map areas for Delaware's oil spill desktop mapping. These grids
                                    correspond to USGS 7.5-minute quad maps. The map on the right, representing a single quad of Little Creek,
                                    Delaware, was generated withfilesfrom DNREC's GIS andfrom maps in Delaware's Oil Spill Response Con-
                                    tingency Plan.























                               26







                                                                                                                      Implementation

                                                             Although this report is a blueprint and not an implementation plan,
                              First Steps                    a discussion of some of the first steps required for developing the
                                                             oil spill information system is possible. The steps refer primarily
                  ï¿½   Select Computer Hardware               to the mapping capability since this is the major capability under-
                      Platform                               lying Alternatives 1 and 2.

                  ï¿½   Select Mapping Software
                  ï¿½   Select Unit(s) of Spatial (Map)        What are the First Steps?
                      Organization                           Select Computer Hardware Platform. A decision must be made on
                                                             whether to develop an oil spill system on a Macintosh or IBM-
                  ï¿½   Construct Base Maps                    compatible computer. Chief considerations will be data storage
                                                             capacity, random access memory, speed of operation, cost, and in
                  ï¿½   Create Thematic Maps                   the case of Alternatives 2 and 3, portability of network-compatible
                                                             units in the field. This step could be conducted simultaneously
                  ï¿½   Organize Map and Data File             with selecting mapping software.
                      Management
                                                             Select Mapping Software. "Hands on" testing of different applica-
                  ï¿½   Create Binder of Maps and              tions will be required. Criteria include: 1) the ability to accept files
                      D t                                    exported from Delaware's GIS; 2) the maximum number of layers
                                                             that can be added to a base map; 3) the number of data attributes
                                                             that can be added to each map layer; 4) the ability to "look through"
                many layers of data for a specified geographic area; 5) ease of file management; 6) ease of use (menu com-
                mands versus typed command lines); 7) technical support by the software developer; 8) output type; and 9)
                the ability to link to data base software. Several commercial applications provide many of these capabilities.
                Select Unit(s) of Spatial (Map) Organization. A decision must be made on an acceptable scale and level of
                resolution to use, as well as the geographic extent of electronic maps. A statewide or county map may not
                provide the detail necessary to identify tidal creeks susceptible to spilled oil, but may be satisfactory for
                seeing the distribution of water intakes. The USGS 7.5-minute quadrangles (Figure 5) are one alternative of
                spatial organization.

                Construct Base Maps. This will require experimentation. Steps include: 1) determining geographic areas for
                each base map; 2) specifying contents and scale; and 3) constructing base maps.

                Create Thematic Maps. This, too, is experimental. Steps include: 1) specifying the information content or
                themes for each base map; 2) determining the data to be associated with each theme; 3) creating maps; and
                4) importing files of thematic data.

                Organize Map and Data File Management. Organizing a geographic and data library is necessary at this stage.
                The various files needed to create a map (i.e., GIS export, text, boundary, data, etc.) need to be maintained so
                that maps can easily be recreated.

                Create Binder of Maps and Data. Identify all thematic maps to be displayed in a paper map binder. Map files
                must be changed to picture files, exported to display software, graphically enhanced if necessary, printed,
                and then placed in loose-leaf binders along with associated data files.











                                                                                                                                   27




                Concluding Comments
                This report presents a "blueprint" for improving information and information management capabilities
                that the Delaware DNREC can use in its management of oil spills in Delaware Bay. Three alternatives in
                this report divide the work efforts to implement the plan into two general areas: 1) development and orga-
                nization of information content, and 2) electronic capabilities to make the information more understand-
                able and accessible and ease the ongoing process of revision and updating. Of the two, development of the
                information content is byfar the most important. Capabilities, especially when exercised in a spill man-
                agement or decisionmaking context, are only as useful as the information driving them.

                Electronic information management capabilities have been evolving rapidly for the past 5-10 years and will
                continue to evolve rapidly through the foreseeable future. In view of this ever-changing reality, the capa-
                bilities recommended in this report can only be viewed as a snapshot in time. As such, they should be
                considered a starting point. The need for periodic revision or complete overhaul of this "blueprint," in light
                of new developments in information management, is a near certainty and should be understood as an
                essential component of the plan's implementation.

                The situation is markedly different in the more important area of information content. The information
                needs and the data sets available to meet those needs, with a strong, institutional commitment to develop-
                ing this information, will not change at the same rapid pace as electronic management and analysis capa-
                bilities. A high likelihood of significant management benefits could extend far beyond the oil spill issue to
                other important areas of Delaware's coastal resource management. A continuing, steady process should be
                established to ensure information is developed in an organized and thought-provoking manner to meet the
                needs of spill responders. The process should be designed from the outset as a cooperative, multidisciplinary
                effort among spill responders, information management specialists, and those developing and maintaining
                information for spill response.

































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