Geographic Response Plan Testing Program

Testing Schedule - 2010 Upcoming Tests

Check back in January for more information about upcoming testing sites. We plan to test approximately 6 GRPs during 2010, three in the spring and three in the fall.

Testing Schedule - 2009 Completed Tests

Thank you to all who participated in the 2009 GRP Tests.

The 2009 testing season has been completed.

Wareham River GRP Test

October 27, 2009 - 9:30 am to 12:30 pm

Meeting site Swift's Beach Parking Lot

Testing Site: BB-23 Wareham River

Hyannis Harbor/Lewis BayGRP Test

October 21, 2009 - 9:30 am to 3:30 pm

Meet at Hyannis Steamship Authority Terminal

Link to Barnstable Today segment on Hyannis GRP Test

Testing Site: CI-13 Lewis Bay

Martha's Vineyard/Tisbury GRP Test

May 28, 2009 - 10:00 am to 3:00 pm

Lagoon Pond Boat Ramp (off of Beach Road)

Testing Site: CI-19 Vineyardhaven Harbor/Lagoon Pond

Note: Tests will be held rain or shine. In the event of a small craft advisory or other unsafe conditions (lightening, etc.), we will reschedule.

Point of contact for additional information or if you would like to be involved:

Elise DeCola 508-454-4009 elisedecola@nukaresearch.com

Why Test GRPs?

The process of systematically exercising and testing geographic response plans (GRP) will provide a strong training and preparedness benefit for participating communities, spill response organizations, and MassDEP responders. This website describes the Massachusetts GRP testing program and provides information about testing dates and locations, testing plans, documentation, and lessons learned.

GRP "test" involve field verification of tactics and strategies in order to build knowledge and data. GRPs must be tested in order to field verify the range of assumptions that go into developing the tactical plans for boom placement, anchoring, and tending. A long-term strategically designed testing program will benefit ongoing and future GRP development throughout the state by documenting lessons learned for various oil spill response tactics under a range of conditions. This information can help to develop rules-of-thumb for future GRP development by informing planners about the observed limitations and capabilities of booming tactics based on shoreline type, tide state, environmental conditions, and other variables. The testing will also provide practical training opportunities for local responders and spill response organizations, and will improve the level of preparedness to respond to coastal oil spills statewide.

Goals and Objectives

The primary goal of the GRP testing program is to field verify the booming strategies in the GRPs while also providing a training opportunity for local first responders.

The objectives of the testing program include:

Conduct a series of hands-on training exercises where local responders have the opportunity to practice the tactics and techniques used in the GRPs.
Test a variety of boom deployment configurations (deflection, diversion, exclusion).
Determine appropriate anchoring conventions based on deployment configuration, operating environment, on-scene conditions, etc. (i.e. one anchor every 100 feet, 200 feet, etc.)
Determine the logistical and personnel resources necessary to tend a boom array through multiple tide cycles.
Determine operating limits for boom deployments in high current areas and identify alternate deployment strategies, if possible.
Identify areas where permanent shoreline anchor attachments may be installed.
Test the logistics of using a various boat ramps and staging areas.
Evaluate logistical and tactical feasibility of pre-identified collection points for oil recovery.
Establish boom deployment rules-of-thumb that may be applied to other Massachusetts GRP sites and projects.
Use objective-based evaluation (set testing objectives and evaluate against them).
Compile data on environmental conditions during tests to build database on relationships between tactics and sea state, currents, tide stage, winds, and other weather or environmental factors.
Build local capacity and expertise in protective booming in all coastal regions of the state.

The focus of the testing program is to evaluate the tactics and strategies and not to test or challenge the spill responders (local or professional). However, we anticipate that the testing will yield important information about areas where additional training or standardization are needed to improve overall response capabilities.

Who Participates?

Participants will be divided into three broad categories:

Responders (individuals who actually deploy the equipment)
Observers (individuals who observe and evaluate the deployment)
Facilitators (individuals who direct the testing and ensure participants understand their roles)

Testing Process

It is important to establish and follow set methodologies to collect and document as much information as possible. The following approach will help to achieve this:

Each testing day will have a specific set of written objectives that set out what we hope to learn and accomplish that day.
We will begin each testing day with a brief classroom/whiteboard discussion of the operational plan and will make task force assignments to carry out the selected tactics.
All booming strategies will be deployed first as written in the GRP in order to determine whether the GRP can be deployed as written.
Once the boom has been deployed as shown on the page, the facilitators (Nuka and MassDEP) and responders will confer regarding whether the deployment is effective, or whether it requires modification from the paper version.
The responders and facilitator will confer and determine how/whether to make modifications to the GRP and re-deploy.
The facilitator will record any changes to the GRP.
Once the boom configuration has been successfully deployed (either as written or after one or more modifications), other objectives will be evaluated based on the day’s testing plan (i.e. maintaining/tending through tide, evaluating anchor points, etc.)
The facilitator and responders will discuss how/whether the deployment addresses additional objectives.
Evaluators will also observe and evaluate based on set criteria.
At the end of each testing day, a hot wash will be held to solicit opinions, ideas, inputs.
If specific problems or issues are identified during a test, subsequent testing objectives may be modified to address those issues.

Equipment (booms, anchor systems, and associated equipment) will be supplied by local towns using their MassDEP equipment trailers.

Documentation

Documentation of testing outcomes and lessons learned is an important component of this project. Since on-site conditions will have an impact on deployment, we will capture data on tide cycles, wind speed and direction, sea state, precipitation, and any other environmental conditions or on-scene factors. We will compile detailed records of on-scene conditions during each testing day and will use a spreadsheet to compile this information over multiple sites, so that it can be analyzed for trends as the testing program matures.

In order to compile information about how various tactics work, we will document the following information based on the input from responders:

Was boom length effective? If not, how was it adjusted?
Was deployment configuration/boom angles effective? If not, how was it adjusted?
Was anchor configuration effective? If not, how was it adjusted?
How long did it take to mobilize from the staging area to the site?
How long did it take to deploy?
How many people were required to deploy? To tend? To demobilize?

Standard evaluation forms and criteria will be used to capture information from each testing day. At the beginning of each day, we will give a brief instruction to our evaluators on how to fill out the forms. Photographs and videotape will also be used as documentation.

Safety

Safety is always the highest priority. Daily safety briefings will be conducted, and a Safety Officer will be designated. All vessels will be required to complete a float plan.

All participants will be expected to abide by the safety policies of their agency or organization. If any participant observes an un-safe act or condition, they should immediately take whatever actions are necessary to correct the problem (including stopping the deployment test) and notify the facilitator and or the safety officer.

All participants who are on vessels or docks must wear a personal flotation device at all times. Participants should dress in work clothes appropriate for the weather conditions.

Selection of Test Sites and Scheduling Tests

The GRP testing program is being initiated in the spring of 2009, with the goal of conducting GRP tests during the spring and fall of 2009, 2010, and 2011. Sites will be selected by MassDEP, with the goal of involving as many different types of deployments and as many areas of the state as possible.

Three days of testing will be conducted in 2009, with six days planned for 2010 and 2011.

Additional Training Materials

MassDEP has developed tutorials about GRP boom deployment at the following website:

MassDEP Oil Spill Training Website