Online Mapping Tool for Arctic Spill Response
This effort will help address numerous challenges in the Arctic where increasing ship traffic and proposed energy development are increasing the risk of oil spills and chemical releases.
BSEE Director James A. Watson, who served as the federal on-scene coordinator for the U.S. Coast Guard during the disaster, thinks that adding this tool to the Arctic region would provide a tremendous boost to the current oil spill response capabilities there.
Launching this tool for responders, media and the public during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill was a groundbreaking technical achievement and one of the most significant contributions NOAA provided to the historic, large-scale response, according to Monica Medina, NOAA principal deputy under secretary for oceans and atmosphere. Reconfiguring this application to meet the needs of responders in the remote marine Arctic environment could prove to be the most critical tool in effectively preparing for, responding to, and mitigating situations where limited assets, personnel and facilities exist.
In developing this project for the Arctic, NOAA - with support from BSEE - will work with state, local and Indigenous communities as well as academia and industry to share information on how ERMA can best support an emergency response and protect the region's unique lifestyle and resources.
ERMA will bring together all of the available information needed for an effective emergency response in the Arctic. In an emergency situation, ERMA is equipped with near real-time oceanographic observations and weather data from NOAA, and critical information from BSEE and numerous other federal and state response agencies. Responders can further customise the tool with environmental, logistical, and operational data such as fishery closure areas, resources at risk maps, and mariner notices, depending on the need.
ERMA integrates and synthesises real-time and static data into a single interactive map, providing a quick visualisation of the situation and improving communication and coordination among responders and environmental stakeholders. NOAA originally began developing Arctic ERMA to address escalating energy exploration and transportation activity in the region combined with the emerging risk of spills and other accidents.
BSEE is partnering with NOAA to complete the project, with the goal of having the tool available to the response community ahead of any future drilling in federal waters offshore Alaska. When operational, Arctic ERMA will contain information such as the extent and concentration of sea ice, locations of ports and pipelines, and vulnerable environmental resources for spill responders to make rapid, science-informed response decisions.
The Gulf ERMA was developed through a joint partnership between NOAA and the University of New Hampshire's Coastal Response Research Center. The Gulf ERMA was designed by NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration, the University of New Hampshire and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Since 2007, NOAA and the University of New Hampshire's Coastal Response Research Center have worked with hazardous material response agencies and partners throughout the United States to develop, test and refine the ERMA application to meet the needs of various regions. ERMA sites are also in developmental or testing phases for New England, the Caribbean, Pacific Islands and Pacific Northwest.
