HAZARD EVALUATION & EMERGENCY RESPONSE (HEER) OFFICE

HONOLULU – A series of trainings and exercises for oil spill response is scheduled for August 3-5, 2021 at Kalaeloa Barbers Point. The training is being conducted by the Hawai‘i State Department of Health’s (DOH) Office of Hazard Evaluation and Emergency Response (HEER) in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG); representatives of Marine Spill Response Corporation; Hawaiian Electric Company; and Pacific Environmental Corporation to practice the state’s preparedness and response to an oil spill incident.

In the event of a large marine oil spill in the ocean, the state-owned Airborne Dispersant Delivery System (ADDS) may be used in addition to dispersant buckets, mechanical and other types of oil recovery efforts. A green-fluorescent tracer dye will be used to simulate an offshore oil release and water will be sprayed to mimic a chemical dispersant. The state will also be deploying its offshore monitoring equipment to practice open-ocean data acquisition during a discharge scenario.

“I appreciate the great partnerships that we continue to have here in Hawai‘i with the oil spill response community. While we continue to promote prevention, emergency preparedness is a vital component in protecting human health and the environment in any oil spill incident.” said Kathleen Ho, DOH deputy director for environmental health.

The HEER Office is responsible for responding to releases or threats of releases of hazardous substances, including oil, that present a substantial endangerment to public health and the environment of Hawai‘i. The HEER Office manages both emergency response and longer-term non-emergency site clean-up of hazardous materials.