ASTM_F_2532_-_13.pdf

Designation:F253213Standard Guide forDetermining Net Environmental Benefit of Dispersant Use1This standard is issued under the fixed designation F2532;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.Asuperscript epsilon()indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.1.Scope1.1 This guide covers considerations in assessing net envi-ronmental benefit of dispersant use on oil spills.The purpose ofthis guide is to minimize environmental and socioeconomicimpacts of oil spills.1.2 Net environmental benefit analysis(NEBA)of all re-sponse options should be conducted as part of oil spillcontingency planning.1.3 There are many methods to control or cleanup oil spills.All spill response options should be given equal consideration.1.4 Only general guidance is provided here.It is assumedthat the crude or fuel oil is dispersible.The dispersant isassumed to be relatively effective,applied correctly,and incompliance with relevant government regulations.Differencesbetween commercial dispersants or between different oils arenot considered in this guide.1.5 This guide applies to marine and estuarine environmentsonly.1.6 When making dispersant use decisions,appropriategovernment authorities should be consulted as required by law.1.7 This standard does not purport to address all of thesafety concerns,if any,associated with its use.It is theresponsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.2.Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:2F1788 Guide for In-Situ Burning of Oil Spills on Water:Environmental and Operational ConsiderationsF2205 Guide for Ecological Considerations for the Use ofChemical Dispersants in Oil Spill Response:TropicalEnvironments3.Significance and Use3.1 Net Environmental Benefit Analysis(NEBA)whenapplied to oil spill response,is the process of consideringadvantages and disadvantages of different spill response op-tions(including a no response baseline)and comparing them toidentify a spill response decision resulting in the lowest overallenvironmental and socioeconomic impacts from an oil spill andthe response to that spill.3.2 Spill response will likely involve some combination ofresponse options.There are no response methods that arecompletely effective or risk-free.NEBA should be conductedwith appropriate regulatory agencies and other organizations aspart of spill response contingency planning.NEBA is impor-tant for pre-spill planning since some response options have alimited window of opportunity.4.Net Environmental Benefit Analysis for Oil SpillResponse4.1 The objective of NEBA is to choose the oil spillresponse option that will result in the lowest overall negativeimpact on the environment.The NEBA should focus on localand regional areas of concern and should result in decisionsbased on what is best for a specific location.With NEBAcomes the recognition that,regardless of the response optionchosen,some impact will occur.Table 1 and Table 2 andAppendix X1 and Appendix X4 provide considerations for usein the NEBA process.Appendix X2 and Appendix X3 presentan ecological risk assessment method for determining the netenvironmental benefit of dispersant use.4.2 The NEBA process involves several tasks(1,2).34.2.1 Gather information on habitats and species of concern,physical and chemical characteristics of the spilled oil,shore-line geomorphology,potential socioeconomic impacts,andspill response options.Resource trustees,area contingencyplans,and environmental sensitivity maps are good sources ofinformation.4.2.2 Consider the relative importance of natural resourcesand their vulnerability and sensitivity to oiling in the regionand time period of interest.1This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee F20 on HazardousSubstances and Oil Spill Response and is the direct responsibility of SubcommitteeF20.13 on Treatment.Current edition approved Dec.1,2013.Published January 2014.Originallyapproved in 2006.Last previous edition approved in 2006 as F253206.DOI:10.1520/F2532-13.2For referenced ASTM standards,visit the ASTM website,www.astm.org,orcontact ASTM Customer Service at serviceastm.org.For Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information,refer to the standards Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.3The boldface numbers in parentheses refer to the list of references at the end ofthis standard.Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959.United States1 TABLE 1 Pros and Cons of Spill Response OptionsResponse MethodAdvantagesDisadvantagesNo response(monitor only)appropriate for spills that do not threaten shorelinesused when other response options may cause more damage thannatural removalused when environmental conditions do not allow use of other responsemethodscan