Demonstration of an Automated Oil Spill Detection System

The mandatory cleanup of accidental releases of petroleum into the environment costs the Department of Defense DoD millions of dollars annually. DoD agencies are responsible for the cleanup of thousands of barrels bbl of petroleum, oils, and lubricants POL spilled into the marine environment each year. The total volume of accidental POL releases at Navy facilities alone has exceeded 3.4 million gallon gal over the past decade. Estimates of the associated economic costs, which include cleanup, disposal, lost product, and fines range from a low of 2,000bbl to as high as 18,000bbl. Other, noneconomic costs associated with major spill occurrences include irreversible harm to ecologically sensitive areas as well as damage to local community relations arising from a perception of negligent environmental stewardship within the DoD. Current spill detection and response strategies rely solely on the use of human observation to visually detect the presence of a surface sheen indicative of a petroleum spill. Once an oily sheen is spotted, a response team is alerted to contend with the spill. The response team will first seek to isolate and stop the source if a leak is still occurring, then use any combination of skimmers, absorbents, and booms to contain and remove the spilled material. Early identification of a leak or spill, enabling responders to take immediate corrective action is an important means of preventing large volume releases and reducing the associated environmental damage and economic cost. Early spill identification can only be achieved through diligent continuous monitoring. The U.S. Navy has developed an automated oil spill detection technology, Spill Sentry, to improve the accuracy and timeliness of spill reporting. The system detects petroleum contamination in aquatic systems with an upward-looking underwater multispectral fluorometer that is designed to float just below the water s surface.