BSEE Soliciting Oil Spill Response Research Papers
BSEE Oil Spill Response Division Chief David Moore said the agency hopes "to spur further innovation and to improve upon the techniques and technology available to respond to potential oil spills."
The federal Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement is soliciting proposals for oil spill response research projects and plans to spend as much as $7 million in 2014, the agency announced Dec. 19. The announcement has been posted on the federal government's business opportunities website, www.FedBizOpps.gov and calls for whitepapers focusing on any of 10 topic areas about oil spill response on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf.
"This announcement continues and enhances BSEE's commitment to a comprehensive research program dedicated to improving oil spill response operations," said BSEE Oil Spill Response Division Chief David Moore. "Through efforts such as this, we hope to spur further innovation and to improve upon the techniques and technology available to respond to potential oil spills."
Jan. 20, 2014, is the deadline for submitting the whitepapers. The topics are:
- cataloging BSEE's oil spill response research programs funded research recommendations and key findings that may have an impact on BSEE regulations
- scientifically based planning standards for dispersant effectiveness and usage rates
- scientifically based planning standards for burn boom effectiveness and usage rates
- oil spill detection and analysis using remote sensing technologies
- subsea oil spill detection sensors
- mechanical recovery capability of chemically treated oil
- solidifying the scientific capabilities of Ohmsett -- quantifying mixing energy
- solidifying the scientific capabilities of Ohmsett -- effect of ambient chemical levels
- development of "smart" skimming technologies
- establishment of technology readiness level definitions for oil spill response equipment
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