BEACH CLEANERS
Chapter 6
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Spill response for beaches is a complete discipline in itself. Cleaning takes many forms such as:
· Manual
· Washing
· Mechanical
· Vacuum
The method used depends on the type of beach and its location, the type of oil, and the equipment and labor available.
The scope of shoreline cleanup is far too great to be addressed here. The interested reader is encouraged to review the following key references on the subject.
In 1979 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) did a complete study of beach cleaning methods and practice. The results are available in a two volume handbook, Manual of Practice for Protection and Cleanup of Shorelines [1]. This book is recommended for anyone who may be involved in beach cleaning or in making contingency plans.
The Exxon report on response to the Valdez spill also contains a wealth of information on beach cleaning and is used as a frequent reference in this section [2].
Recently there has been increased interest in documenting beach cleaning techniques and equipment performance. This work was sponsored by the Marine Spill Response Corporation (MSRC) and Environment Canada. A review of this work is covered below. There are also four ASTM Standards related to beach cleaning: methods to assess oiling conditions on shorelines [3], terminology and indices to describe oiling conditions on shorelines [4], description of shoreline cleanup techniques [5], and a guide for selecting the appropriate technique for various conditions [6]. Work is currently underway on a guide specific to the selection and use of techniques in cold regions. These techniques are described in greater detail in a Field Guide for Documentation and Description of Oiled Shorelines [7].
The American Petroleum Institute [8] offers a revision of Environmental Considerations for Marine Oil Spill Response, generally known as the “Marine Manual”. The American Petroleum Institute, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Coast Guard, and the U.S. Environmental protection Agency (EPA) developed the Marine Manual for oil spill contingency planners and field responders. The information allows both planners and responders to identify techniques that minimize the ecological impact of both the spilled oil and the response action. Matrix tables allow comparison of 28 different methods for response, and classify their relative environmental impacts for combinations of five different oil types and 25 marine habitats, including shorelines.
NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration has compiled a comprehensive series of resources on shoreline cleanup that can be accessed through the following web sites:
Finally, a much older publication by CONCAWE describes ways to clean up shorelines according to shoreline types [9]. Although these methods are not necessarily equipment related, anyone involved in spill impact on shorelines should review all of these references.
(Six pages of text and references followed by seven pages of beach cleaner data listings)
