A Ten Y ear Retrospecti - Ohmsett · - New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection ... quency-scanning radiometer. And, ... Ohmsett marked the millenium with 131

Gazette The

Ohmsett--The National Oil Spill Response Test Facility

Leonardo, New Jersey Fall/Winter 2001Train with oil. Test with oil.

The year was 1992. The Ohmsettprogram manager wanted a red,

white, and blue ribbon for a ribbon cut-ting ceremony.

Minerals Management Service had justawarded Mar, Inc. a contract to operate theOhmsett facility--and the occasion for theribbon cutting ceremony was the official re-dedication of the Ohmsett test basin.

The July 1992 ceremony marked thecompletion of a two year restoration effortthat made Ohmsett a useable test facilityagain. The 1.5 million dollar restorationwas initiated and funded by Minerals Man-agement Service, with additional financialsupport from the U.S. Coast Guard andEnvironment Canada.

Dozens of state and federal officials at-tended the ceremony, and New Jersey statesenator Frank Lautenberg cut the ribbon.Speaking at the ceremony, assistant secre-tary of the Navy Jaqueline Schafer said,“Ohmsett will once again be an importantpart of the nation’s environmental protec-tion arsenal.”

It was hard to believe that just two yearsbefore, the Ohmsett test basin had lain aban-doned and decrepit.

The First YearsThe Ohmsett facility (Ohmsett is an ac-

ronym for Oil and Hazardous MaterialsSimulated Environmental Test Tank) wasbuilt in the early 1970’s by the U.S. EPA.

Continued on page 3

A Ten Year Retrospective

In the aftermath of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, our heartsand prayers are with all those who have lost so much, and with those whohave faced the disaster with unwavering courage.

That was then... this is now.

1992: the MMS sign goes up on theOhmsett control tower.

The test basin in 2001The Ohmsett test basin in 1991

Government Agencies- Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation- Canadian Coast Guard- Environment Canada- National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration- New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection- US Army, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, Corps of Engineers- US Coast Guard - National Strike Force- US Coast Guard - Headquarters- US Coast Guard - Research and Development Center- US Department of Interior, Minerals Management Service- US Navy- US Navy, Naval Facilities Engineering Services Center (NFESC)- US Navy, Naval Weapons Station Earle- US Navy, Space and Naval Warfare Command (SPAWAR)- US Navy, Supervisor of Salvage (SUPSALV)

Universities- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Lincoln Laboratory- Texas A&M University, National Spill Control School- University of Miami- University of New Hampshire- University of Rhode Island

Manufacturers / Private Industry- Alaska Clean Seas- Applied Fabric- Canflex Inc.- Costner Industry Nevada Corp.- Computer Science Corp.- Douglas Engineering- Earth Canada- Ericam Entertainment- Engineered Fabrics Corp.- Elastec / American Marine Inc.- Exxon-Mobil Corp.- FibreSorb- Frank Mohn AS- Foilex- Goo-Gobbler- HESB- Hyde Marine- HydroGrowth- JBF Environmental Systems, Inc.

Thank you, customers!- The Ohmsett Staff

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- Kepner Plastics Fabricators, Inc.- Lancer Industries Inc.- LPI Corp.- MAR, Inc.- Marine Spill Response Corporation- MARCO Pollution Control- Mycelx Technologies- NOFI Tromsø AS- Oil Stop, Inc.- OSR Systems LTD- Pacific Link Environmental, Inc.- PCCI/GPC

- Product Services Marketing Group- PTC Enterprises- Qualitec- Slickbar Inc.- SL Ross Environmental Research- Spilled Recovery Systems (SRS)- Spill-Tain DIV-M.C.D. Company- Spiltec- Radar Systems Technology- RO Clean Desmi- Webster Barnes Inc.

We at Ohmsett appreciate all of the customers whohave come to us for testing and trainingthroughout the years.

From 1974 to 1987 the facility saw ex-tensive use. But, by the late 1980’s, inter-est in oil spill response technology dimin-ished and testing at Ohmsett waned. Fi-nally, the EPA closed the facility in Sep-tember 1988.

Then, in March 1989, just a few monthsafter Ohmsett closed, the Exxon Valdez ranaground in Prince William Sound, Alaska.That oil spill was one of the largest in U.S.history, in one of the nation’s most envi-ronmentally sensitive areas.

Suddenly, everyone was aware of the needfor continuing oil spill technology devel-opment.

In 1990, Minerals Management Servicebegan the restoration of Ohmsett, and theOil Pollution Control Act of 1990 formal-ized and mandated the use of Ohmsett as atesting facility.

By July 1992, Ohmsett was up and run-ning again.

The Next Ten YearsIn the ten years following Ohmsett’s re-

opening, the facility has seen several fur-ther refurbishments, a multitude of new test-ing capabilities, and a steady increase inthe number of testing days.

A month after the July 1992 rededicat-ion ceremony, a skimmer was tested in thetest basin, followed by another skimmer testin October. Both tests were for the US CoastGuard.

In 1993, two skimming systems weretested. The 1994 testing season includedtwo tests: an inflatable barge and a fre-

Continued from page 1That was then... quency-scanning radiometer.

And, in 1994, Ohmsett performed a teston itself, studying the effects of clearancebetween test basin side walls and booms be-ing tested.

In 1995, five systems were evaluated in80 days of testing. And for the first timesince the refurbishment, a private company,HydroGrowth International, used theOhmsett test basin to demonstrate their sor-bent system.

In 1996, MMS again awarded Mar, Inc.the contract to operate the Ohmsett facility.The Ohmsett program manager who hadbeen with the facility since 1992 left, and anew program manager came on board.

The pace picked up. Six tests were per-formed in the Ohmsett test basin that year,and eight were performed the next, 1997.

1997 was the year a 30-seat classroomwas added and both USCG and Texas A&MNational Spill Control School classes wereoffered at Ohmsett for the first time.

1998 brought more exciting develop-ments. SL Ross Environmental Research,GPC, and Ohmsett technicians rigged anunderwater propane bubbling system in thetest basin, allowing first-ever tests of boomblankets in actual flames.

Ohmsett representatives began the longprocess of developing a standard testingprotocol for spill control equipment to bepresented to (and ultimately approved by)the American Society for Testing and Ma-terials Committee on Hazardous Substancesand Oil Spill Response.

Ohmsett’s program manager earned acorporate leadership award for improving

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Award-Winning OhmsettOhmsett Wins Safety Award...

For the second year in a row, the USDepartment of the Interior has awarded

the Ohmsett facility with a Safety Awardof Merit.

The award recognized Ohmsett’s out-standing safety and occupational healthprogram.

The Ohmsett staff’s daily work is inher-ently dangerous. Staff manipulate heavyequipment, work with various oils, and op-erate a propane burning system.

In addition, an increase in the numberof Ohmsett test days means that staff have

the safety, efficiency, and environmentalsensitivity of Ohmsett operations.

And the first issue of the Ohmsett Ga-zette, featuring an aerial photo of the testbasin, went out to over 3000 people involvedin the oil spill response industry.

During the following year, 1999, MMSpresented Ohmsett with a safety award forno accident-related lost work days for sev-enteen months.

Ohmsett and SL Ross EnvironmentalResearch began an MMS-funded study toexplore the feasibility of using the Ohmsetttest basin to test dispersants.

The old bridge house was removed andreplaced with a brand new one, and Ohmsettpurchased a new oil/water separator.

And, in November 1999, an internationalcadre of oil spill professionals descendedupon Ohmsett for a viscous oil pumpingworkshop to explore the issues presentedwhen lightering viscous oil from ship toshore.

In 2000, a report authored by SL Rossand Mar, Inc. reported that dispersant test-ing is feasible at Ohmsett. For the first time,a test involving dispersants was performedin the test basin. Also, Ohmsett test basinwavemakers created emulsions for an emul-sion behavior study.

Ohmsett marked the millenium with 131test days, the maximum to date.

What does the future hold for Ohmsett?Ohmsett electronics technician Don Backer,who’s been with the facility for ten years,put it like this: “We’ve been changing sincewe’ve been here, and possibly always will.And the place needs to be that way.”

worked under these conditions for an in-creasingly greater number of days duringthe year.Yet, despite these risks, Ohmsett staff

have incurred no lost time injuries for al-most three and a half years, thanks to anaggressive safety program at the facility.

Staff time is dedicated on an ongoing ba-sis to reviewing safety procedures, and fa-cility safety committee meetings are heldmonthly. A licensed industrial hygienistbriefs staff before particularly dangeroustests, and reviews new testing procedures.

... And Wins Environmental Award

In a ceremony planned for September 20,2001, in Washington, DC, representa-

tives from the US Department of the Inte-rior presented Ohmsett staff with a 2001Environmental Achievement Award.

The award recognizes organizations fortheir environmentally aware policies andcontributions. Ohmsett was recognized forits oil and scrap metal recycling programs.

The Ohmsett staff are proud of thisachievement and will continue their envi-ronmentally friendly procedures!

1991 1993 1995

Ohmsett M

1990 1992 1994 1996

Ohmsett studies test basinsidewall effects.

Ohmcolleupgrand trefu

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Ohmsett holds a rededicationceremony and operations at thefacility begin again!

Oil Pollution Act of 1990mandates the use ofOhmsett as a testing facilityfor oil spill controltechnology.

MAR Inc. is contracted byMMS to operate Ohmsett.

(Photo courtesy of USCG)

Ohmsett operators upgradethe facility�s systems.

MAR, Inc. wins recompeto operate the Ohmsettfacility for another 5 ye

US Department of theInterior MineralsManagement Service beginsa 1.5 million dollarrefurbishment effort atOhmsett.

Ohmsett operators receive aUS Department of theInterior safety managementaward.

1997 1999 2001

Milestones

1998 2000 2002

msett�s computer dataection systems areraded. Facility buildingstest basin undergo majorrbishments.

Ohmsett sees 131testing days thisyear. The most to

date!

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In another first,Ohmsett evaluates theoil containment pumpingsystems on the USCGcutter Juniper. Ohmsettstaff provide systemtraining with oil for theJuniper crew on site atthe end of a pier.

etitiontears

For the first time, Ohmsettstaff plan, organize, andimplement a US Coast Guardindoctrination �boot-camp�training program.

Ohmsett evaluates afire blanket using anew propane burnsystem. AnotherOhmsett first!

Ohmsett conducts its firsttest with dispersants in thetest basin.

ASTM F-20 committeeapproves a new ASTMstandard guide, developed byOhmsett staff, forevaluation of oil boomperformance in controlledenvironments.

BillThomas--MMS CO, Jim Lane--MMS COTR, and Bill Schmidt--Ohmsett program manager

Ohmsett receives anotherUS Department of theInterior safety managementaward.

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First, Maintenance

Months of heavy testing with waves,crude oil, and dispersants left the

Ohmsett test basin in need of seriouscleaning.

Last winter, USCG Atlantic Strike Teammembers and Ohmsett staff emptied the testbasin to power-wash the basin walls andrepair cracks in the basin.

They also gave the bridges a fresh coatof paint and replaced the bridge cables andwheels.

At the test basin, they replaced the waveflaps, cleaned the filter, and updated theunderwater camera equipment.

That done, water pumped in from SandyHook Bay refilled the tank in time to re-sume a busy testing schedule in May 2001.

Navy Back to Test

The United States Naval FacilitiesEngineering Services (NFESC) con-

tinued its skimmer evaluations at Ohmsettin the spring and summer of 2001.

The NFESC tests will help the NavalFacilities Engineering Command(NAVFAC) Oil Spill Response Programbecome savvy skimmer shoppers as theyconsider skimmers to buy and distributeto naval shore facilities.

The Navy is particularly interested infinding skimmers suited for typical Navyoil spills, which usually are relativelysmall, involve light fuel oils, and tend tooccur around piers.

NFESC tested five other candidateskimmers at Ohmsett last year. (See TheOhmsett Gazette, Fall/Winter 2000)

In May and August 2001, NFESC testedthe HIB R-20, the Marco, and the KepnerSea Vac. Douglas Engineering, and Ap-plied Fabrics, performed additional testsconcurrently.

In September 2001, NFESC will test aredesigned, advancing Goo Gobbler (a sta-tionary version was tested last year.)

On Spill Watch

In May 2001, John Andrews of the USNavy SPAWAR Systems Center in San

Diego returned to test the Navy’s SpillWatch Sensor at Ohmsett.

The Spill Watch Sensor uses an ultra-violet fluorometer in a floating buoy todetect petroleum-based material upon orwithin a 12-inch water column.

When it detects petroleum, the sensor“tells” a base computer to telephone a listof users. The system sends data on thenature and extent of the spill when thephone call is answered.

Andrews evaluated the Spill Watch Sen-try #8017 in the Ohmsett test basin, al-lowing the sensor to detect and report onseveral petroleum product spills in vary-ing wave conditions.

For more information about the SpillWatch Sentry, see Applied Microsystems’website at www.appliedmicrosystems.com.

Decant, Phase II

In July 2001, SL Ross EnvironmentalResearch came to Ohmsett for Phase II

of an MMS-funded decant study.During oil spill cleanup, water recov-

ered along with the oil reduces the avail-able capacity of storage tanks, slowingoperations and increasing the amount offluid to be disposed of. The goal of theresearch is to optimize storage capacityby minimizing the volume of free water.

Phase I of the study was reported on inThe Ohmsett Gazette, Spring/Summer1999 issue. In Phase II, researchers addedan emulsion breaker to the skimmed oiland water to speed up primary break andallow more water to be decanted.

Through an agreement with SL Ross,EARTH Canada also evaluated theirTORR unit (see Down to EARTH, this is-sue) during this test. The water separatedby the emulsion breaker was sent to theTORR unit for further filtering.

Down to EARTH

EARTH Canada tested its TORR (TotalOil Removal and Recovery) system at

Ohmsett in July 2001, in conjunction withSL Ross Environmental Research of Ot-tawa, Canada.

The TORR is a filter system designedto effectively reduce the oil content of flu-ids recovered during oil spill cleanup op-erations.

Reducing the oil content of recoveredfluids to permissible discharge limits in-creases recovery effectiveness and frees upscarce space in on-site storage tanks.

The system worked so well, Ohmsettstaff asked to keep the unit at the facilityfor a few more weeks to help filter thetest basin water.

Ready, Set, Test!

USCG Trains Again

For many years now, the US CoastGuard has used the Ohmsett facility

to conduct training sessions for its oil spillresponse crew.

Once again, in June and August 2001,the Coast Guard held its Oil Spill ResponderTraining, and, in September 2001, will con-duct an indoctrination and lightering courseas a sort of “boot camp” for incoming Na-tional Strike Force personnel.

More Emulsions

Environment Canada researchers cameto Ohmsett in July and August 2001

for Phase III of emulsion tests begun ayear ago at the facility. (See The OhmsettGazette, Fall/Winter 2000.) They will beback in October 2001 for Phase IV.

The aim is to learn more about the emul-sification process at sea. Ohmsett’s testbasin waves, which simulate conditionsin the open ocean, mixed oil into an emul-sion. Researchers took samples at speci-fied times to identify changes in oil/emul-sion properties. Phase III and IV of thetests will complete Environment Canada’semulsion testing.

The TORR unit

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The opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this report are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the MMS. Mention of trade namesor commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. This document has been technically reviewed by the MMS according to contractual specifications.

Furniture and Ficus

After so many years of use, if the wallsof the Ohmsett conference rooms and

classrooms could talk, they would prob-ably say, “Paint me!”

In late August, upgrades to those roomsbegan. The walls got that paint job, thetired out furnishings were replaced, anda new carpet was installed.

To top it off, a couple of ficus trees nowenliven the atmosphere.

To reserve a space for your meeting inthe refurbished conference and trainingrooms, call the Ohmsett facility at 732-866-7183.NJDEP Reps Visit

Ohmsett program manager BillSchmidt gave officials from the New

Jersey Department of Environmental Pro-tection a tour of the Ohmsett facility inJuly 2001.

Commissioner of the NJDEP RobertShinn, and NJDEP director of programcoordination Lawrence Schmidt, NJDEPdirector of discharge response Robert VanFossen, and NJDEP discharge preventionchief Robert Kotch toured the facility, andobserved Environment Canada’s emulsionexperiments in the Ohmsett test basin.

High Tech

Each summer, Ohmsett staff becometeachers when they participate in the

Monmouth County, New Jersey, HighTechnology High School summer programfor seventh and eighth grade students.

Students are selected for the programbased on their high academic achievementand interest in the technology sciences.

High Tech students observe testing

The Program for Mechanical Oil Recov-ery in Ice-Infested Waters (MORICE)

was initiated in 1995 to develop technolo-gies for the effective recovery of oil spillsin ice infested waters. MORICE is a multi-national effort involving Norwegian, Cana-dian, and American researchers.

Four different recovery units have beentested with the Lifting Grated Belt in oiland ice at the Hamburg Ship Model basin,Germany, in May 2000. Later on, in Octo-ber 2000, during freeze-up in Prudhoe Bay,Alaska, the ice processing capability wastested for the entire MORICE prototype,including three different recovery units.

In May 2001, the MORICE prototype wasfield tested in Svea, Norway, and now plansare underway to test and evaluate the skim-mer at Ohmsett with the test basin blan-keted in ice. The Minerals ManagementService (MMS) is currently expanding andupgrading the capabilities of Ohmsett to

offer cold water testing and training.Developing these capabilities will enable

Ohmsett to stay operational year round,which is the main objective for the MMS.We will be able to provide a controlled en-vironment simulating cold water and/or re-alistic broken ice conditions.

Successful simulation of ice environmentsat Ohmsett presents new testing capabili-ties and could open the way for testing on-and under-ice remote sensing, in-situ burn-ing in broken ice, and dispersant effective-ness testing in cold water.

The Ohmsett test engineers and special-ized consultants will define the testing pa-rameters and incorporate them into a stan-dard test protocol and plan for use duringthe testing of the MORICE prototype andthe three recovery units.

The MORICE test is scheduled for Janu-ary 2002. This is the best time to performthe tests and the chilliest for the Ohmsett

MORICE Skimmer To Be Testedstaff to be working outside. Staff will beeducated on health and safety issues to pre-pare for working in the harsh winterweather. Oil in ice testing will be anothernew and exciting test capability for Ohmsett.

This article was written and contributedby Joseph Mullin, of the Minerals Man-agement Service

News Briefs

The Ohmsett Gazette is publishedby Ohmsett--The National Oil SpillResponse Test Facility--to updateour readers on activities at the

facility. For more information, call:(732) 866-7183.

Editor ................. Laurie Holland CoyneTechnical Editor .......... Kathleen NolanGraphic Designer ............ Phillip CoyneAdministrator............. Joyce Rosenberg

Ohmsett staff visit the school to presenta lecture on Ohmsett and oil spill cleanup.Later, students tour the Ohmsett facility andsee spill equipment testing for themselves.

Shortly after the tour, students deviseworking models of oil containment boomsand skimmers, then present their research

results to teachers, parents, and thosewho’ve helped with the program.

Ohmsett also participates in High TechHigh’s mentorship program. Seniors fromthe high school are assigned to variousorganizations where they are guided bystaff as they work part-time for a semes-ter and receive class credit.

The Ohmsett staff are pleased to be in-volved with these bright, motivated stu-dents and anticipate participating in theprogram for years to come.

MORICE prototype is evauluated

Ohmsett FacilityMAR, Inc.PO Box 473Atlantic Highlands, NJ 07716(732) 866-7183

Test with oil Train with oil

Visit Ohmsett: The National Oil SpillResponse Test Facility

For more information about testing and training atOhmsett, or to schedule a tour of the facility, call

Bill Schmidt, Program Manager Jim Lane, Project Officer, MMSPhone: (732) 866-7183 Phone: (703) 787-1065Fax: (732) 866-7189 Fax: (703) 787-1549E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] our web page @ http://www .ohmsett.com