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>> THIS IS A DRILL, THIS IS A DRILL.
THIS MESSAGE IS IN SUPPORT OF
THE 2005 NOAA SAFE SANCTUARIES
EXERCISE.
THIS IS ONLY A DRILL.
EMERGENCY RESPONDERS CONTINUE TO
ADDRESS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
FROM THE 800-FOOT CONTAINER
SHIP AGROUND ON ELBOW REEF IN
THE FLORIDA KEYS NATIONAL MARINE
SANCTUARY.
>> EVERY YEAR NOAA RESPONDS TO
THOUSANDS OF NATURAL AND
HUMAN-INDUCED INCIDENTS
THREATENING LIFE, PROPERTY, AND
NATURAL RESOURCES.
DURING SUCH INCIDENTS, NOAA IS
MANDATED TO PROTECT NATURAL
RESOURCES, PROVIDE WEATHER
DATA, AND CHART NAVIGABLE
WATERWAYS.
TO BETTER FULFILL THIS MISSION,
NOAA CONDUCTED THE FIRST SAFE
SANCTUARIES EXERCISE IN APRIL
2005 TO BRING TOGETHER NOAA
RESOURCES AND EXPERTISE WITH
OTHER AGENCIES FOR A
HYPOTHETICAL OIL SPILL IN THE
FLORIDA KEYS NATIONAL MARINE
SANCTUARY.
>> TO BRF YOU OF THE SITUATION
AS WE KNOW IT: THE PORTSMITH
TRADERWENT AGROUND ON THE
ELBOW.
IT'S CURRENTLY LEAKING FUEL, AND
THERE'S ALSO A SECONDARY
RELEASE.
>> THE ELBOW IS AN OUTLYING REEF
IN THE FLORIDA KEYS NATIONAL
MARINE SANCTUARY. THIS MARINE
PROTECTED AREA IS ONE OF 13
MARINES SANCTUARIES AND ONE
CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEM RESERVE IN
THE UNITED STATES.
THE FLORIDA KEYS IS THE NATION'S
ONLY LIVING BARRIER CORAL REEF.
THIS EXERCISE HIGHLIGHTS NOAA'S
FINEST IN EMERGENCY RESPONSE
AND DEMONSTRATES ITS WIDE ARRAY
OF ASSETS AND CAPABILITIES.
UNDER THE OIL POLLUTION ACT, THE
U.S. COAST GUARD ASSUMES
THE LEAD AUTHORITY TO DIRECT
AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE
IN THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT
AS THE FEDERAL ON-SCENE
COORDINATOR.
IN A SIGNIFICANT INCIDENT SUCH
AS THIS, THE ON-SCENE
COORDINATOR CALLS UPON A CADRE
OF SPECIALISTS FROM AROUND THE
COUNTRY AND ASSEMBLES THEM IN AN
INCIDENT COMMAND POST, IN THIS
CASE THE MONROE COUNTY EMERGENCY
RESPONSE CENTER.
KEY AMONG THEM IS NOAA'S
SCIENTIFIC SUPPORT COORDINATOR,
WHO SERVES AS THE SCIENCE
ADVISER TO THE ON-SCENE
COORDINATOR.
FOR THIS EXERCISE THE NOAA
COORDINATOR LEADS THE
ENVIRONMENTAL UNIT THAT WILL
ORCHESTRATE THE DELIVERY OF DATA
AND OBSERVATIONS ACQUIRED FROM
NOAA SCIENTISTS AND OTHERS.
AMONG THE INITIAL INFORMATION
NEEDED FOR THE RESPONSE IS
FIGURING OUT WHERE THE LEAKING
OIL IS HEADED.
THE SCIENTIFIC SUPPORT
COORDINATOR DISPATCHES AN
OCEANOGRAPHER TO MAKE REAL-TIME
OBSERVATIONS OF OCEAN CURRENTS
AND OIL MOVEMENT AT THE
GROUNDING SITE.
>> DO YOU KNOW IF IT'S THE NORTH
END OR THE SOUTH END WHERE
YOU'RE GOING TO BE DROPPING?
>> NORTHWEST END.
>> SHE DOES THIS BY DROPPING
BIODEGRADABLE DYE PELLETS FROM
THE HELICOPTER AND PHOTOGRAPHS
THE DISPERSAL OF THE DYE.
[INDISTINCT TALKING]
THIS GREEN DYE MIMICS OIL AND
GIVES THE OCEANOGRAPHER AN
ACCURATE VIEW OF SEA SURFACE
CURRENTS.
>> OK, GOT WHAT I NEED.
>> WHEN SHE RETURNS, SHE
IMMEDIATELY REPORTS THE
INFORMATION TO THE SCIENTIFIC
SUPPORT COORDINATOR IN THE
INCIDENT COMMAND POST.
THEY COMBINE THESE OBSERVATIONS
WITH OTHERS IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL
UNIT WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING
AROUND THE CLOCK TO RESPOND TO
THE OIL SPILL.
>> YEAH, THERE'S THIS EDDY RIGHT HERE.
>> AS SOON AS THE SPILL WAS
REPORTED, THE SCIENTIFIC SUPPORT
COORDINATOR ALSO REQUESTED A
TEAM FROM THE CENTER FOR
OPERATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES.
>> YOU'VE GOT A COTTER PIN FOR
THAT, RIGHT?
>> WORKING WITH THE FLORIDA KEYS
NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY STAFF,
THEY ASSEMBLED AND DEPLOYED A
QUICK RESPONSE BUOY TO COLLECT
REAL-TIME DATA AT THE WRECK
SITE.
USING SOUND WAVES, THIS ACOUSTIC
DOPPLER CURRENT PROFILING
PACKAGE MEASURES OCEAN CURRENTS
THROUGHOUT THE WATER COLUMN AND
TRANSMITS THAT INFORMATION VIA
SATELLITE AND RADIO STRAIGHT
INTO THE COMMAND POST.
>> YEAH, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE
SHOWING HERE.
A 10TH OF A KNOT?
WE GOT 3/10ths OF A KNOT
MEASURED.
>> OTHER TEAM MEMBERS MONITOR A
PAIR OF SURFACE CURRENT MAPPER
STATIONS THAT WERE INSTALLED
ALONG THE COAST.
THESE TOWERS BROADCAST AND
RECEIVE HIGH-FREQUENCY RADIO
WAVES ALONG THE SEA SURFACE AND
PROVIDE ANOTHER MEASUREMENT OF
SURFACE CURRENTS, BUT ON A WIDER
SCALE.
PROCESSED SIGNALS ARE ALSO
UPLINKED VIA SATELLITE TO THE
COMMAND POST.
THE DATA FROM THE SURFACE
CURRENT STATIONS AND CURRENT
PROFILING BUOY ARE VERIFIED
WITH THE AERIAL OBSERVATIONS
MADE ON-SITE
BY THE OCEANOGRAPHER.
>> I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING THAT
WOULD INDICATE THAT, BUT I'M
TRYING TO THINK, WOULD I HAVE
SEEN IT?
>> IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THAT THE
WATER IS SO CLEAR
>> BUT MORE DATA ARE AVAILABLE
AND NEEDED.
THE OCEANOGRAPHER ALSO TEAMS UP
WITH A METEOROLOGIST FROM THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
HE IS A WARNING COORDINATION
METEOROLOGIST, AND HOURLY HE
RECEIVES 2 CRITICAL UPDATES ON
WEATHER FORECASTS.
ONE COMES FROM NOAA'S WEATHER
FORECAST OFFICE IN KEY WEST.
>> UNLIKE YESTERDAY WITH THE
TRUE EAST DIRECTION THAT WE
MIGHT HAVE EXPECTED, IT LOOKS
LIKE THE MODELS ARE INDICATING
THAT IT MIGHT BE MORE OF AN
EAST-NORTHEAST BY EARLY
AFTERNOON HOURS.
>> THESE ARE THE LOCAL EXPERTS
WHO UNDERSTAND THE DAILY WEATHER
PATTERNS IN THE FLORIDA KEYS
AND CAN MAKE THE MOST SENSE OUT
OF THE INFORMATION COMING FROM
NOAA SATELLITES, RADAR, AND
THEIR OWN OBSERVATIONS.
DURING A SENSITIVE EVENT SUCH AS
AN OIL SPILL, THE KEY WEST
OFFICE ALSO DISPATCHES AN
INCIDENT METEOROLOGIST DEDICATED
TO MONITORING THE WEATHER
SPECIFICALLY ON THE WRECK SITE.
WITH ASSISTANCE FROM THE
SANCTUARY, THE INCIDENT
METEOROLOGIST INSTALLED A
REAL-TIME MONITORING SYSTEM ON
THE NEAREST ACCESSIBLE PLATFORM
TO THE GROUNDING SITE.
THIS INSTRUMENT TRANSMITS
REAL-TIME OBSERVATIONS OF WIND
SPEED, WIND DIRECTION, AND
TEMPERATURE BACK TO A SMALL
SATELLITE DISH THAT WAS SET UP
IN THE FLD OPERATIONS CENTER
IN KEY LARGO.
WITH THE MOST CURRENT DATA AND
FREQUENT OBSERVATIONS, THE
INCIDENT METEOROLOGIST PREPARES
THE SECOND SOURCE OF UPDATES FOR
THE WARNING COORDINATION
METEOROLOGIST IN THE COMMAND
POST.
>> I HAVE A FORECAST HERE READY
TO GO.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS JUST
COORDINATING WITH YOUR OFFICE
THERE, AND I CAN GO AHEAD AND
SEND IT TO YOU IN THE NEXT 10 TO
15 MINUTES.
>> INTEGRATING ALL THE FLD
DATA, THE METEOROLOGIST PRESENTS
THE MOST CURRENT FORECAST BACK
TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL UNIT.
WITH ALL THE REAL-TIME
INFORMATION NOW IN HAND,
THE SCIENTIFIC SUPPORT
COORDINATOR AND OCEANOGRAPHER
CONTACT NOAA'S SCIENTIFIC
SUPPORT TEAM IN SEATTLE,
WASHINGTON.
>> HI, TOM.
THIS IS DEBBIE AND BRAD AND MATT
HERE.
>> HEY THERE.
MARK MILLER, C.J.,
AND BUSHY HERE IN THE WAR ROOM.
>> AT THE VESSEL SITE WE DID A
DYE DROP, AND THE CURRENTS WERE
ABOUT 6/10ths OR 7/10ths OF A
KNOT TO THE NORTH.
>> THE TEAM IN SEATTLE WILL NOW
WORK QUICKLY TO COMPILE ALL THE
AVAILABLE DATA IN COMPUTER
PROGRAMS AND BUILD A TRAJECTORY
MODEL FOR WHERE THE OIL IS
EXPECTED TO GO.
AT LEAST TWICE PER DAY THE
SEATTLE TEAM UPDATES THE
TRAJECTORY MODEL.
THIS CRITICAL INFORMATION IS
FAXED TO THE COMMAND POST AND
DELIVERED IMMEDIATELY TO THE
SCIENTIFIC SUPPORT COORDINATOR.
WHENEVER THERE IS NEW
INFORMATION AVAILABLE, THE
SCIENTIFIC SUPPORT COORDINATOR
AND OTHER NOAA SPECIALISTS BRF
THE UNIFIED COMMAND. THE UNIFIED
COMMAND IS THE LEAD
GROUP IN THE COMMAND POST
COMPOSED OF THE SANCTUARY
MANAGER, THE STATE AND FEDERAL
ON-SCENE COORDINATORS, AND THE
RESPONSIBLE PARTY FOR THE SHIP
GROUNDING.
THE UNIFIED COMMAND AND THE
PLANNING UNIT WILL USE THE
LATEST TRAJECTORY MODEL AND
OTHER INFORMATION TO BEST DIRECT
THE COURSE OF FLD OPERATIONS
FOR THE RESPONSE.
THE PLANNING UNIT CALLS IN
NOAA'S NAVIGATION RESPONSE TEAM.
THE REEF BOTTOM SURROUNDING THE
WRECK SITE IS VARIABLE AND
DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE,
ESPECIALLY FOR LARGE VESSELS, SO
THE NAVIGATION RESPONSE TEAM
USES A SOPHISTICATED SIDE SCAN
SONAR THAT CREATES REAL-TIME
HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGES OF THE
SEA FLOOR.
AFTER MAPPING SEVERAL TRANSECTS,
THE STRIPS ARE MOSAIC'D TOGETHER
INTO A MAP.
THE MAP CAN THEN BE COUPLED WITH
MARINE CHARTS AND ENABLES THE
PLANNING UNIT TO DEVELOP A
SALVAGE PLAN THAT WILL BE THE
LEAST DISRUPTIVE TO THE
SANCTUARY'S SENSITIVE
ENVIRONMENT.
AS INFORMATION ON THE OIL'S FATE
BECOMES CLEARER, THE SCIENTIFIC
SUPPORT COORDINATOR PREPARES
SHORELINE CHARACTERIZATION AND
ASSESSMENT TEAMS TO EVALUATE
SHORELINE IMPACTS.
THESE ASSESSMENT TEAMS INCLUDE
MEMBERS FROM STATE AND FEDERAL
AGENCIES AND THE RESPONSIBLE
PARTY, SOME OF WHOM HAVE NEVER
MEASURED EFFECTS OF AN OIL SPILL BEFORE.
>> SO YOU TELL THE GASOLINE HAS
CARCINOGENIC COMPOUNDS IN IT...
>> TO STANDARDIZE THE ASSESSMENT
TEAM EFFORTS, NOAA RUNS TRAINING
FOR THE TEAM MEMBERS BEFORE
THEY GO INTO THE FLD.
GIVEN THE POTENTIAL SPILL
TRAJECTORIES, THE SCIENTIFIC
SUPPORT COORDINATOR DEPLOYS
TEAMS ON TWO LOCATIONS ALONG KEY
LARGO'S EASTERN SHORE.
THEY SPECIFICALLY RECORD
PERCENT COVER OF OIL ON
AFFECTED BEACHES AND WILDLIFE
THAT HAS BEEN OILED, SUCH AS SEA
BIRDS OR TURTLES.
RETURNING TO THE COMMAND POST,
THE ASSESSMENT TEAM LEADER
PRESENTS THE TEAM'S FINDINGS
TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL UNIT.
>> IN THE NORTHERNMOST AREA IS
WHERE WE SAW THE HEAVIEST HIT BY
OIL.
>> ALSO ON-SCENE IS ONE OF
NOAA'S NATURAL RESOURCE DAMAGE
ASSESSMENT TEAMS.
THIS TEAM COLLABORATES WITH
OTHER GROUPS FROM THE DEPARTMENT
OF THE INTERIOR AND THE STATE
OF FLORIDA TO WORK MOST
EFFECTIVELY WITH THE RESPONSIBLE
PARTY.
THIS DAMAGE ASSESSMENT TEAM
SENDS OUT ASSESSMENT EXPERTS AND
SANCTUARY DIVERS.
THEY GATHER INFORMATION ON THE
NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES
THAT WERE HARMED AND AT RISK
FROM THE SHIP GROUNDING AND OIL
SPILL.
HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL
RESOURCES IMPART IMPORTANT
KNOWLEDGE OF MARITIME HISTORY
IN THE REGION.
IN THIS INCIDENT, THE PORTSMITH
TRADERRAN AGROUND ON A 1917
WRECK, THE CITY OF WASHINGTON.
>> DUE TO THE OIL SPILL, WE WERE
ONLY ABLE TO ASSESS THE INJURY
TO THE ANCHOR DAMAGE THAT
OCCURRED, AND WE FOUND TWO
ANCHOR SCARS.
>> A MARINE ARCHAEOLOGIST FROM
THE SANCTUARY EVALUATES THE
INJURY TO THE CITY OF
WASHINGTON,AS IT REPRESENTS A
SIGNIFICANT HISTORIC SITE AND IS
LISTED ON THE FLORIDA KEYS
SHIPWRECK TRAIL.
USING INFORMATION PROVIDED BY
THE NAVIGATION RESPONSE
AND DAMAGE ASSESSMENT TEAMS,
THE UNIFIED COMMAND DEVELOPS
THE BEST STRATEGY TO EXTRICATE
THE TRADERAND AVOID FURTHER
INJURY TO BOTH THE REEF
AND THE HISTORICAL WRECK.
THE PORTSMITH TRADEREXERCISE
ALSO PROVIDES AN IMPORTANT
OPPORTUNITY FOR NOAA TO
EVALUATE AND IMPROVE ITS
RESPONSE AND SAFETY PROCEDURES.
TO CHECK THE ACCURACY OF THE OIL
TRAJECTORY MODEL AND PROVIDE
ANOTHER SET OF OBSERVATIONS TO
UNDERSTAND SURFACE CURRENTS
IN THE FLORIDA KEYS, 2,000
WOODEN DRIFT CARDS WERE RELEASED
NEAR THE GROUNDING SITE.
THE REEF STRUCTURE, TIDAL
CURRENTS, GULFSTREAM, AND WINDS
MAKE THIS AREA TRICKY TO
PREDICT CURRENTS, AND OVER THE
NEXT TWO DAYS, OCEANOGRAPHERS
MONITOR THE DRIFT CARD MOVEMENT.
IN THIS CASE, THESE
BIODEGRADABLE CARDS MOVE
STRAIGHT INTO THE MANGROVES
ALONG KEY LARGO'S EASTERN SHORE,
CONFIRMING THE TRAJECTORY MODEL
OUTPUTS CREATED EARLIER IN THE
RESPONSE.
>> THE PUBLIC IS REMINDED TO
AVOID TOUCHING THE OILED AREAS
OR WILDLIFE DUE TO HUMAN HEALTH
CONCERNS AND POSSIBLE WILDLIFE
INJURY.
>> THROUGHOUT THE SPILL
RESPONSE, PUBLIC SAFETY IS ALSO
A KEY CONCERN.
NOAA SENDS OUT AN ALL HAZARDS
RADIO BROADCAST WARNING PEOPLE
OF NATURAL AND MANMADE
DISASTERS.
THE SAFE SANCTUARY'S EXERCISE
AND REAL GROUNDINGS LIKE IT
REPRESENT CONTINUING RISKS TO
OUR CORAL REEFS, SHORELINES, AND
MARINE RESOURCES.
NOAA RECOGNIZES THESE THREATS
AND CONTINUALLY DEVELOPS AND
TESTS EFFECTIVE RESPONSE PLANS
TO PROTECT LIFE, COMMERCE, AND
OUR NATURAL AND CULTURAL
RESOURCES.
>> IT'S NEVER GONNA COME OUT
GOOD.
IT'S ALWAYS BAD, BECAUSE
SOMEBODY LOSES.
BUT IT CAN COME OUT BETTER IF
EVERYBODY'S WORKING TOGETHER.
IF YOU'VE GOT A COOPERATIVE
R.P. IF YOU GOT THE COAST GUARD
IS BEING ABLE TO PLAY THE ROLE
THEY NEED TO PLAY.
IF ALL THE STATE AGENCIES AND
THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES ARE ABLE
TO PLAY THE ROLES THEY COULD
PLAY AND NOAA GETS TO PLAY THE
ROLE WE CAN PLAY, THEN YOU BRING
EVERYTHING TOGETHER, PEOPLE
COOPERATE, AND IT WILL COME OUT
LESS BAD THAN IT COULD
OTHERWISE.
[CAPTIONED BY THE NATIONAL
CAPTIONING INSTITUTE
www.ncicap.org]