Oil Spill readiness and response in the Columbia River Region is a unique environment to plan and prepare for. Bordering two states with both United States Coast Guard and EPA jurisdiction, our region is comprised of multiple critical resources and stakeholders that are just a few of the many considerations taken into account when preparing for response. Thankfully, the response community is an international industry with a large amount of knowledge and experience to be shared. Accessing and participation in national and international groups through meetings, conferences and events is critical in ensuring the Cooperative is aware of best practices, emerging technologies, and upcoming requirements.
The first half of 2023 included a number of opportunities for the Cooperative to engage with various organizations by attending industry events. Below is a brief summary of the events that Cooperative has participated in and their importance to our readiness.
SCAA:
On April 5th and 6th, 2023, the Spill Control Association of America (SCAA) held its Annual Meeting and Conference in Jacksonville, FL. Over one hundred and twenty-five SCAA members, speakers, and guests were in attendance, including Clean Rivers Cooperative General Manager, Curtis Cannizzaro. The program was designed around SCAA’s three pillars: Advocacy, Education and Engagement, with an eye towards a number of emerging issues and market trends facing SCAA membership. The many presentations offered included topics on marine plastics and “nurdle” spills; EPA rulings and regulations on PFAS; employee and employer changes, trends and future outlook; special equipment and technology demonstrations; panels that covered topics such as marijuana in the workplace; battery challenges from collecting to effective recycling; and an update from the USCG. The conference incorporated a live survey to gather information from participants and poll their experiences from the meeting. At the request of SCAA, Clean Rivers was again able to support partner APICOM by delivering an update on APICOM Member activities throughout the US and Canada.
Clean Waterways:
April 11th through the 13th, 2023 the Clean Waterways conference took place in Denver, Colorado. With a large focus on inland response, Clean Waterways presented an opportunity to hear from industry partners about response in inland environments. The conference offered presentations regarding a number of topics such as contingency planning; crisis leadership; ICS utilization in reality; and response case studies. Cooperative Staff have been able to gain valuable insight from other “Clean Events” such as Clean Pacific and Clean Gulf in the past. However, Clean Waterways drew a group of professionals that align more closely with the response environment that the Cooperative operates in. The networking and open discussions hosted at this event were extremely beneficial to confirm that the Cooperative is prepared for response in our Area of Interest.
APICOM Managers and Business Managers Meeting:
Clean Rivers Cooperative General Manager, Curtis Cannizzaro serves as Treasurer for APCIOM (Association of Petroleum Industry Cooperative Managers) and participated in the Spring 2023 Member Meeting as well as the Business Managers Meeting held on May 9 & 10, 2023. Topics included the importance of Cooperatives from the United States and Canada collaborating to share lessons learned, as well as discussions on upcoming regulations. Attendees received Regulator updates from the United States Coast Guard and from the Environmental Protection Agency. Further discussions included advancing the group to encompass Technology Committees, both from an electronic technology and an equipment technology standpoint. Technology Committees will further add benefit to the cooperatives who participate by ensuring awareness and evaluation of new offerings in the market. The meeting day concluded with a vessel tour of an Oil Spill Recovery Vessel (OSRV).
The Business Manager’s Meeting on the following day was comprised of general discussions regarding increasing regulatory oversight; requirements for training and certifications; member needs and requests; as well as discussions on transitioning from paper to digital management systems.
HSET:
The Health, Safety, Environment and Safety (HSET) Committee is a sub-committee of APICOM that consists of representatives from spill response organizations across North America. Currently the Committee is Co-Chaired by Clean Rivers Cooperative Operations Manager, Carl Boelter. Carl attended HSET’s annual in person meeting that was held on June 3rd and 4th in San Antonio, TX. The Committee operates upon the objective to establish a professional network of HSE personnel, to maintain lines of communication and to share information and resources between Committee Members. Some of the projects and meeting work sessions at the annual in-person meeting included safety management systems for Matrix Gap Analysis; experiences with Near Miss programs; new regulations and requirements for inspection and calibration of inflatable PFDs; and best practice for securing boom on vessels. With evolving technology and transforming regulations, it is essential that Clean Rivers Cooperative remains abreast of the best practices and shared knowledge gained by participating in committees such as HSET.
