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Buzzards Bay Oil Spill Response Plan Released by United States Coast Guard and the Coalition
April 26, 2005
CONTACT: Ben Bryant, Marine Policy Specialist The Coalition for Buzzards Bay (508) 999-6363 x 214 NEW BEDFORD, MA—On the second anniversary of the Bouchard Barge B-120 oil spill, the United States Coast Guard - MSO Providence and The Coalition for Buzzards Bay announce the completion of an oil spill response plan for the Buzzards Bay region. Officially titled the Buzzards Bay Geographic Response Plan for Oil Spill Mitigation, “the plan provides a coordinated set of strategies and tactics designed to protect sensitive environmental, cultural and economic resources in the event of and oil spill,” said Ben Bryant, Marine Policy Specialist for The Coalition for Buzzards Bay. The oil spill response plan provides protection strategies for 43 coastal sites in Buzzards Bay from Westport to Cuttyhunk. The strategies are based on science and past experience and focus oil spill response resources on keeping spilled oil out of inlets, rivers, harbors and salt marshes. Tidal currents are the directing force on an oil spill, so each strategy uses floating booms to deflect the incoming oil to collection points where it can be removed from the waterways. “Once oil enters an estuary or river system it is much harder to clean up and tends to cause the most damage,” said Mr. Bryant. The Plan envisions that after the oil spill event, local responders will be the first on site. It provides the responders with guidance on equipment, shore access points and strategies that can be immediately implemented to begin an effective response. Then, as outlined in the Oil Spill Prevention Act of 1990, the overall management of the response would shift to a combination of organizations collectively called “Unified Command” and comprised of personnel from the United States Coast Guard, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, and the responsible party. This group would oversee the implementation of the entire plan. The Buzzards Bay Geographic Oil spill Response Plan was created in cooperation with several local, state and federal agencies and with assistance from an outside consulting firm, Resource Planning Inc., who specializes in creating these types of plans. Funding for the project came from a grant by The Massachusetts Environmental Trust and appropriations from The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. The primary participating groups were the United States Coast Guard, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, The Buzzards Bay Project, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management, Naushon Family Trusts and local fire departments from Mattapoisett, Bourne, and New Bedford. The project was managed by the Coalition for Buzzards Bay. All ten municipalities surrounding the Bay had input to the plan through their designated first responder personnel. The United States Coast Guard’s Area Committee approved the plan on April 14, 2005 and those interested in viewing it will soon be able to access the plan on The Coalition for Buzzards Bay’s website at www.savebuzzardsbay.org. “While every effort should be made to insure we never have another oil spill in Buzzards Bay, we certainly want to be prepared to minimize the damage if one occurs and this plan provides us with the guidance to do that” said Mr. Bryant.
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