December 15, 2015 – Webinar
This special webinar was held as part of the US Coast Guard Sector New Orleans Area Committee meeting agenda. Seminar speakers shared information on dispersants, examining them from scientific, legal, and policy angles. Scientific topics covered include toxicity testing of chemical dispersants, development of new dispersants, and efficacy of dispersant formulations. Legal and policy issues were considered as well – including the EPA proposed rule (Subpart J) to the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP).
Sea Grant-GoMRI partnership to share oil spill science
Emily Maung-Douglass, Ph.D. is an oil spill extension specialist at Louisiana Sea Grant (LSU). She facilitated this seminar and gave attendees an explanation of the Sea Grant/Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative oil spill outreach program.
PDF: Click here
VIDEO LINK: Click here
Comparative toxicity of chemical oil dispersants
Mace Barron, Ph.D. is a senior scientist at the U.S. EPA Gulf Ecology Division within the Office of Research and Development. He shared insights into dispersant toxicology, the comparative toxicity testing and efficacy of a variety of dispersants.
VIDEO LINK: Click here
The Science and Technology of Dispersants
Vijay John, Ph.D. is the Leo S. Weil Professor of Engineering at Tulane University and a Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. He focused on dispersants from a chemistry and physics perspective – including explanations on properties of dispersants, how they react under different conditions, and how existing formulas may be manipulated to create new dispersants.
VIDEO LINK: Click here
Considering dispersants from a legal & policy perspective
Melissa Daigle, J.D. is a research associate with the Louisiana Sea Grant Law & Policy Program, where she has worked since 2008. She shared information on the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP), the NCP product schedule, as well as the EPA proposed rule Subpart J.
VIDEO LINK: Click here
Q&A with the speakers
Speakers Barron, John, and Daigle answered questions from the in-person audience (see PDF) from Sector New Orleans. The speakers also responded to questions from the online-audience after the seminar (see PDF).
PDF: Click here
VIDEO LINK: Click here
Other documents:
View the agenda.
View the flyer.