Elastec/American Marine will be hosting an international Oil Spill Response Workshop on the campus of the Atheneum in New Harmony, Indiana, September 8 – 11, 2014. Approximately 90 oil spill responders and industry representatives from Angola, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Egypt, France, Guyana, India, Nigeria, Suriname, United Kingdom, United States and Venezuela will attend the event.
Millions of dollars of oil spill response equipment, thousands of hours of planning and decades of experience will be wrapped into several days of hands-on training and presentations. Seasoned response experts will share lessons learned from some of the most challenging oil spill response operations in the world. Their knowledge of what works (and what doesn’t) will be invaluable to apprentice as well as to experienced responders.
The Oil Spill Workshop will focus on the science and standards of oil spill response technologies and how and where the technologies are best deployed. From inland to offshore incidents, participants will learn: What is the significance of American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards and skimmer nameplate capacity testing? What are the advantages of ground-based versus traditional aerial oil spill surveillance? How are BoomVanes™ safely launched and where should they be used? What lessons were learned from the in-situ controlled burn operation in the Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Horizon incident? Why is skimmer encounter rate important? What are the best response methods in fast, shallow rivers? Recovery tactics with Elastec/American Marine oil spill response equipment will also be launched in the Wabash River, simulating actual incidents (without the oil).
Donnie Wilson, CEO of Elastec/American Marine commented that, “This gathering of responders from around the world is like a mini-United Nations – it is a unique opportunity to celebrate diverse cultures, exchange oil spill response information and learn from each other. When the workshop comes to a close, our hope is that we have shared a common purpose, in harmony with responders from around the world, to leave a healthier environment for those who will walk in our footprints. This is why the town of New Harmony, Indiana was selected for Elastec/American Marine’s Oil Spill Workshop 2014.”