MIAMI - The Coast Guard and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will be training various local, state and federal agencies during an intense three-day training course focusing on coastal oil spills and aftermath shoreline assessments beginning June 10 at NOVA University and John U Lloyd State Park in Dania Beach, Florida.
The course, which will be held along the beaches and marshes of John U Lloyd State Park, is being conducted by the Coast Guard and NOAA, will feature sessions by Bradford Benggio, the NOAA scientific support coordinator for Coast Guard 7th District, Dr. Jacqueline Michel, and others who are part of NOAA's Scientific Support Team for oil spill response.
This team of scientists has worldwide spill experience, including responses to the Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska, the New Carissa that grounded off the Oregon coast, the Prestige off the coast of Spain, the 1993 Tampa Bay oil spill and the New Horizon Gulf of Mexico spill. The team has helped develop the oil spill contingency plans and train responders throughout the world.
The training will focus on the following eight major objectives:
- Understanding how oil behaves and how it affects sensitive resources, including different shoreline and habitat types
- Review of various response options and use decision criteria
- Discussions of spill modeling techniques and other computer-based tools used for spill planning and response
- Systematic techniques for conducting effective shoreline cleanup assessments
- Field exercises to demonstrate and practice shoreline assessment methods
- Prepare important members of the spill community for participation as a member of shoreline cleanup assessment teams
- Development of suggestions for local area committee projects and initiatives
- Provide for open exchange of ideas, concerns, and priorities between Coast Guard, the State, resource trustees, and industry
Members from the Coast Guard, NOAA, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service and National Marine Sanctuaries will attend the training.
NOTE TO EDITORS: If interested in attending a portion of the field training please contact Bradford Benggio at (954) 684-8486.