EPA-R2-73-112
FEBRUARY 1973 Environmental Protection Technology Series
A Rapidly Deployable
Oil Containment Boom
for Emergency Harbor Use
^° ***
Office of Research and Monitoring
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
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RESEARCH REPORTING SERIES
Research reports of the Office of Research and
Monitoring, Environmental Protection Agency, have
been grouped into five series. These five broad
categories were established to facilitate further
development and application of environmental
technology. Elimination of traditional grouping
was consciously planned to foster technology
transfer and a maximum interface in related
fields. The five series are:
1. Environmental Health Effects Research
2. Environmental Protection Technology
3. Ecological Research
4. Environmental Monitoring
5. Socioeconomic Environmental studies
This report has been assigned to the ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION TECHNOLOGY series. This series
describes research performed to develop and
demonstrate instrumentation, equipment and
methodology to repair or prevent environmental
degradation from point and non-point sources of
pollution. This work provides the new or improved
technology required for the control and treatment
of pollution sources to meet environmental quality
standards.
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EPA-R2-73-112
February 1973
A RAPIDLY DEPLOYABLE
OIL CONTAINMENT BOOM FOR
EMERGENCY HARBOR USE
by
John Cunningham
Project 15080 FVP
Project Officer:
Frank J. Freestone
Edison Water Quality Research Laboratories, NERC
Edison, New Jersey 08817
Prepared for
OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND MONITORING
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402
Price 65 cents domestic postpaid or 45 cents GPO Bookstore
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EPA Review Notice
This report has been reviewed by the Environmental Protection Agency
and approved for publication. Approval does not signify that the
contents necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental
Protection Agency, nor does mention of trade names or commercial
products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.
ii
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ABSTRACT
This report attempts to describe performance criteria for an ideal oil
spill containment boom for emergency harbor service. The type of boom
recommended is that which an emergency service, such as a fire depart-
ment or a plant team could transport promptly to a spill incident with-
in a harbor and deploy quickly to contain the spilled oil. The ex-
perience acquired by the Marine Division of the NYFD over the course of
one year, both at active spill control operations and in test exercises,
serves as the principal source of information for this report. It is
hoped that the information offered will lead to the development of the
ideal boom as envisioned.
Among the boom criteria developed are: recommended size and perfor-
mance capabilities; storage and handling problems; optimum design
characteristics.
This report was submitted in partial fulfillment of Project Number
15080 FVP, under the partial sponsorship of the Water Quality Office,
Environmental Protection Agency.
iii
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CONTENTS
Section Page
I Conclusions 1
II Recommendations . 3
III Introduction 7
IV Boom Size and Oil Containment Criteria 11
V Boom Stability and Wave Conformance 15
VI Boom End Connections 17
VII General Requirements 19
VIII Boom Storage and Handling 23
IX Personnel Acceptance 27
X Acknowledgments 29
XI References 31
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FIGURES
Number Page
1 Concept of a Standard Boom End Fitting (plan view) 4
2 Concept of an Aluminum Slip Joint Tow Fitting 5
vi
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SECTION I
CONCLUSIONS
The following criteria have been developed for an oil spill containment
boom intended for emergency harbor use:
1. A draft of 12 in. and freeboard of 6 in. is adequate for harbor spills,
as the increased capacity of a larger boom is slight, and the weight and
the weight and deployment-time penalties large.
2. The weight should be kept under approximately 2 Ib/ft.
3. Flotation, ballast, and stiffeners should be permanently attached,
preferably inside the fabric to avoid snagging and simplify cleaning.
4. The fabric should carry the tension distributed over its height, with
possible sewn or molded-in reinforcement top and bottom. In addition,
the fabric must be tough, abrasion-resistant, stable in solar radiation,
thermally stable, and resistant to petroleum oils and products. A bright
yellow color is recommended.
5. The cost should be under $l2.00/ft.
6. Grab handles should be provided on the top edge.
7. The boom should have an overall tensile strength near 6,000 Ibs
without external tension members.
8. Fire resistance is not recommended due only to high weight and cost
penalties.
9. The ballast and float configuration should give stability in 15 knot
winds, 0.5 - 1.0 knot currents and 2 ft waves.
The best storage mode appears to be in a closed box on board the boat.
While reel storage is possible with detachable floats, the time penalty
to attach floats is high. Adapting storage to available space would be
simplified if boom were available in 50-ft as well as 100 ft and longer
lengths.
Incompatible end connections, especially where booms from different
manufacturers must be joined, are both a prime operational nuisance and
a major cause of oil loss.
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SECTION II
RECOMMENDATIONS
A most urgent need is for a standard end fitting for joining and termi-
nating booms.
The end connection for the ideal boom would be an aluminum fitting designed
to join standard boom ends. The boom ends (not the fitting) would termi-
nate in a rounded bead of reinforced boom fabric similar to the rim bead
on an automobile tire.
The short bead-bearing section would be about 3 in. long and the same
height (in this case 18 in.) as the boom itself. The doubled section
would be securely fastened or bonded to the boom so as to maintain its
tension strength.
Since the beaded boom ends would be identical, an aluminum slip joint
fitting is recommended. This fitting could be slid over the boom ends
to form an oil-tight connection. (Figure 1)
To provide for towing or tying a boom, an aluminum fitting of the same
dimensions as the 3 in. beaded section is recommended. It would have
two holes to accommodate towing or securing lines. (Figure 2)
Not shown in Figures 1 or 2 is the arrangement of two short, light nylon
lines run through a hole drilled through the top of the standard boom
end fitting and tied through a small gronmet in the top of the doublers
of the joined boom ends or the aluminum tow fitting. These lines would
prevent the beads from riding through the boom end fitting.
Should the boom sections be provided with external stress members, the
stress members could be connected by shackles around the standard boom
end fitting.
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-BOOM r OOUBLER r BEAD
STANDARD ALUMINUM
END FITTING
TOP VIEW
BOOM r DOUBLER
END FITTING
BEAD
FRONT VIEW
NYLON TIE LINE
FIGURE I
CONCEPT OF A STANDARD BOOM END FITTING
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BOOM rDOUBLER /-BEAD
STANDARD ALUMINUM
END FITTING
L
ALUMINUM TOW
FITTING
TOP VIEW
BOOM rDOUBLER rEND FITTING TOW LINES
i- C3UUM r
-BEAD
FRONT VIEW
NYLON TIE LINE
FIGURE 2
CONCEPT OF AN ALUMINUM SLIP JOINT TOW FITTING
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SECTION III
INTRODUCTION
Not too long ago accidental petroleum spills in the nation's harbors
went unreported for the most part, and nature was left to its own
resources to absorb all such insults without much assistance from the
human spoilers. But with today's widespread concern for the ecology,
both the public and private sectors must take new Initiatives to pro-
tect the marine environment against the degradation caused by acciden-
tal spills. Increased reporting of spills and demands for prompt con-
tainment and clean-up of spills must be met.
Next to stopping the flow at the source, the most urgent need at an oil
spill accident is to restrict the spread of the oil to the smallest
possible area. Due to the rapidity with which oil spreads on water,
quick containment efforts are essential: These efforts must be harmless
to the marine ecology and must not impede the removal of the oil. A
quickly deployed, efficient containment barrier is the best known device
at present to control the spread of a spill and assist in the recovery
of the oil.
The prompt encirclement of a spill is usually achieved by the deployment
of a manufactured containment boom brought to the afflicted area.
Quiescent harbor waters can be expected to offer an acceptable surface
for the containment of oil by a flotation barrier. At some waterfront
locations where petroleum products are transferred or used regularly and
in volume, a permanent flotation barrier is maintained around oil docks
and vessels to limit the spread of accidental spills. In other situa-
tions where it is not feasible to keep containment boom in the water,
some plant operators store a supply of boom ashore in accessible locations
for deployment by plant personnel when the need arises. This report is
concerned with that boom which would be deployed after a spill occurs.
During off-hours, the private sector is often restricted in its response
capability by the insufficiency of personnel available on-scene to take
corrective measures. It therefore becomes evident that a valuable
emergency service can be supplied by equipping a local agency such as the
fire department with a complement of containment boom, which would then
be available for quick deployment on an around-the-clock basis. Such
emergency response personnel would also be of assistance in deploying
boom stored by plant operators or obtained from other sources.
This emergency containment service would be intended to fill the gap
between the time of a spill occurrence and the effective initiation of a
spill clean-up operation. The clean-up would, as a rule, be undertaken,
or contracted for, by the person or organization responsible for the spill.
It would be expected that any emergency service boom used in a spill
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would be released as soon as possible by those charged with the clean-
up activity so that the boom could be restored to its original state of
readiness.
To provide the Port of New York with this quick response capability,
as well as for test purposes, four different types of containment boom
were procured by NYFD's Marine Division.
Various basin and open water tests were conducted at which the four types
of boom on hand were used. These booms were:
1. A heavy 36" boom having self-contained flotation, weighing about 4
Ibs per foot.
2. A light 36" boom with attachable flotation, weighing about 2 Ibs per
foot.
3. Two types of light, 18" boom with self-contained flotation, one of
which weighed 1.5 Ibs per foot, the other 2.5 Ibs per foot.
A definite feel for the type of boom equipment that would best serve a
fire department, or other emergency response group, was acquired over
the period of one year by way of -
Reviews of publications containing boom information,
Consulting with manufacturers' representatives,
Observations at spill operations,
Use of boom at spill operations.
As a result of the project's experiences with containment boom, certain
performance criteria for an "ideal" boom for emergency harbor use,
naturally evolved. It must be pointed out that this ideal boom, which
will be described in this report, is not manufactured at the present time,
but it is hoped that its description will assist those desiring to pur-
chase harbor boom, in making a good choice from what is now marketed.
It is also hoped that these boom criteria will assist manufacturers in
their attempts to satisfy the needs of boom purchasers.
The offered boom criteria include:
1. Size and Oil Containment
2. Stability and Wave Conformance
3. End Connections
4. General Requirements
(a) Tension Strength
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(b) Fabric Characteristics
(c) Towability
(d) Fire Resistivity
(e) Weight
(f) Cost
(g) Color
(h) Cleaning
5. Storage and Handling
6. Personnel Acceptance
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SECTION IV
BOOM SIZE AND OIL CONTAINMENT CRITERIA
As a result of one year's experience with the New York City Fire Depart-
ment's demonstration grant Project 15080 FVP, a definite conclusion was
reached as to the size of the containment boom best suited for use by
an emergency service. This conclusion was based on the Fire Department's
Emergency operations at fifteen spills, and on observations made at
twenty-two other spills at which the Department's containment services
were not required. This local experience was supplemented by research
into available authoritative information on spills, and the performance
characteristics of manufactured oil spill containment booms.
Originally it was felt that a deep draft boom might have to be specified
for Project equipment. This early concept of a need for a deep draft
boom was based on the possibilities of spill accidents occurring in the
busy waterways of the Harbor where fast tidal currents flow, such as the
North River, with currents up to 2.8 knots; the East River, with 5.2
knots; the Staten Island Kills, with 2.4 knots; and lastly, the Upper
Bay, with 2.2 knots (1, A).
It can be observed from these current conditions that during most of the
tidal cycle, even a deep draft (24" skirt) boom cannot be expected to
contain a spill effectively. From the recent US Coast Guard boom tests
in the Gulf of Mexico, we learn that oil spill leakage by entrainment
beneath a 27" submerged skirt seemed considerable at current speeds which
reached only 1-1/2 knots, even though the captive pool of oil was only
a few inches deep (3). Relating this reported oil spill loss beneath a
deep draft boom, to the current conditions encountered in New York Harbor,
we can readily conclude that right angle boom containment particularly,
would be futile in midstream where the maximum velocities are achieved.
However, current meter readings taken during the course of the Project
at piers, in slips, at bulkheads and in coves, indicate that even at peak
flow periods, the high velocity currents in midstream were vastly greater
than in the sheltered areas where most spills occur. Near the shoreline
installations referred to, currents were usually less than 1/2 knot, and
this velocity is within the capability range of a boom having a 12" skirt
(5). At no spill incident during the course of the Project was oil ob-
served washing over a boom having a 6" freeboard as a result of natural
causes (wind and wave). Where surface losses were observed, the 6" sail
was not inadequate. The leaks occurred at boom connection joints or
through terminal gaps. The connector joints of the ideal boom would be
oil tight and sufficient flotation at joints would prevent loss of
buoyancy at the joints. Since terminal leaks cannot be attributed to
boom deficiency, sealing of the terminal gap by hydraulic or mechanical
means is suggested. As boom experience accumulated, it became apparent
that a containment boom having a freeboard barrier of 6", and a submerged
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skirt of 12" would best suit the Fire Department's requirements. (A
modest increase in these dimensions might be considered if the somewhat
larger boom falls within the performance, weight, handling, cost and
storage parameters established for the 18" boom).
Since the vast majority of the oil spills requiring boom containment
occurred in waterfront areas where the current velocity is 1/2 knot or
less, little oil droplet loss can be expected beneath the 12" skirt of
an 18" containment boom used under such current conditions. Any loss
rate reduction which might be sought by increasing the depth of the boom
would be very small indeed. On the other hand, the weight penalty and
the additional strength requirements associated with a deeper boom are
quite high for the relatively small payoff, as the strength requirement
increases at least linearly with depth; thus the quick deployment possible
with light, flexible boom cannot be achieved with the heavier, more rigid
deep draft boom.
Note: Since recovery of oil must be undertaken shortly after a spill is
corralled (if the containment effort is to be successful), plans must be
made to institute skimming as soon as possible.(4)
To further explain the preference of a light containment boom for harbor
service, it is appropriate to describe the two spill incidents which did
occur in fast moving currents during the course of the Project. These
incidents, we believe, illustrate the problems related to the use of boom
in fast currents:
1. The first incident happened in the East River. A towed oil barge
carrying #6 fuel oil ran aground off Jackson Street, Manhattan, and
opened a hull seam. The current running in the area was about 2 knots.
The tow boat captain towed the leaking barge up river to a somewhat
sheltered mooring site where containment operations were undertaken. The
spill was contained at the mooring site by the use of a light boom
supplied by a contractor while skimming operations were undertaken. The
quantity of oil spill was estimated at 1,000 gallons.
Conclusion: Any attempt at encircling the barge with boom while underway
or even moored in the fast current, would have been unsuccessful. Even
though a considerable quantity of oil did escape before the barge was
surrounded by boom, a large quantity was recovered from the combined
containment and skimming effort in the sheltered location.
2. The second incident involved a gasoline barge which suffered a split
hull seam as the result of a collision in the East River off the Port
Authority Pier #3. The current running in the spill area was about 1.5
knots. Initially, some light Fire Department boom was used to contain
a fire foam blanket until an improvised plug could be inserted in the
hull fissure. An efficient contribution to minimizing the fire hazard
to the nearby pier and dissipating the gasoline vapors was supplied by
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the heavy calibre streams and propeller wash of two fireboats, which
diverted the spill away from shore.
Conclusion: Boom containment in this instance served only to retain the
fire foam blanket while an effort was being made to control the spill.
A light, quickly deplovable boom was used for this purpose. Wisely, the
barge was removed to open water to allow for the harmelss dissipation of
inflammable vapors and fire streams were used to assist the process until
the gasoline in the damaged compartment could be transferred to secure
storage.
In neither of these two incidents could the use of deep draft boom have
been successful while the vessels were in the fast moving currents (5).
But it should not go without mentioning that boom has been reported as
being used to contain or divert slicks in fast moving currents. One
method is the encirclement of the slick by a boom and permitting the
array to go downstream with the current until a quiescent area is reached.
Then recovery is undertaken. Another method is to divert the spill by
angularly held boom toward a pickup location.
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SECTION V
BOOM STABILITY AND WAVE CONFOBMANCE
Although intended for harbor area use, and for limited periods of
exposure, the ideal boom must be sufficiently stable to withstand the
effects of a 15 knot wind without failing, and without material loss of
its stability. It is assumed that a 15 knot wind will create a chop
condition and also generate a surface current slightly less than 1/2
knot. Also, the boom must be sufficiently flexible and possess a
sufficiently high buoyancy-to-weight ratio and waterplane area to conform
to waves up to 2 ft high, without loss of oil (4).
Boom stability is achieved by the nature of the boom design, including
its flotation and ballast systems, and its tension members. Of the
factors which might render a boom unstable, the accidental partial loss
of its flotation seems to be the most likely. Flotation loss has been
observed with booms having detachable floats, when these floats somehow
come loose from their fastenings. Similarly, fabric tears can permit
plastic flotation pellets to escape from a flotation capsule. This
reduction in flotation means that the boom can lose buoyancy and become
unstable, allowing oil to escape from the captive pool. The ideal boom's
flotation should be protected by complete encapsulation within tough
enclosure pods, and sections of closed cell foam should be used to avoid
accidental loss of flotation through tears or punctures in the fabric.
Ballast weights should be preferably contained within the boom fabric
to guarantee against loss or disturbance and to provide the design boom
stability. Enclosure would also preclude loss of ballast and prevent
snagging of the boom. Unfortunately, however, ballast is not very
effective alone in providing stability although it is necessary for wave
response. Consider a weightless flat plate suspended from a "hinge" at
the water surface, with the flow against the flat face of the plate.
For a plate one foot deep, in a one ft/sec current, a weight of 2 Ib/ft
will allow the plate to be deflected nearly 30° from the vertical. In
the absence of a separate tension member - bridle scheme, stability in
a current appears to be best obtained through the even distribution of
tensile stress over the fabric (with integral re-inforcement such as
sewn or bonded-in listing, if desired), and the curved configuration of
the boom in use.
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SECTION VI
BOOM END CONNECTIONS
The two most consistently observed causes of oil loss from booms in use
have been the leaks at boom terminals and at connections between sections
of boom,, Leaks between the ends of dissimilar boom were particularly
noticeable* All of these leaks can be avoided simply by proper design
and standardization of end fittings.
Terminal leaks cannot be attributed to any particular boom deficieacy,
but rather to a lack of an efficients readily available means for sealing
the gaps between the boom terminals and the vessels or bulkheads to which
the terminals are secured. In recognition of this deficiency in boom
operations8 a dynamic boom terminator was developed and employed during
the course of the Projects whereby the propeller current of an outboard
motor was utilized to generate a counter current to seal the terminal gap.
Counter currents generated by fire hose streams or propeller streams from
small boats were also found to be effective,,
For the attachment of the ends of the ideal boom, a leakproofs
connecting system, requiring no tools, is desirable. The use of the
system must be obvious to even untrained personnel, and it should be
workable from above water as from a small boat. The end connection should
be capable of accommodating a tow line, anchoring equipment, a boom
terminator device, or a universal connector for interfacing with booms
of different sizes or designs. Leaks between similar and especially
dissimilar boom systems must be considered., The inclusion of sufficient
flotation at these joints is necessary to preclude sagging at the connec-
tion. Another important requirement for a boom connector system is its
ability to distribute tension stresses to the fabric and tension members
without chafing or tearing, and thus avoid damage to the boom itself at
the connection point.
In response to the need for a universal boom connector to attach different
types and different sizes of boom, during the course of the Project some
experimental adaptor plates were fabricated from light aluminum stock.
These light plates are merely narrow strips of aluminum, measuring 4" x 18"
and 4" x 36" with two rows of bolt holes drilled at intervals to match
grommet holes installed in the boom ends and accept tension lines. The
use of these plates will allow one type of 18" boom to be joined to
another type of 18" boom, or 18" boom can be connected to 36" boom.
Further development and standardization of a universal end fitting is
strongly urged.
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SECTION VII
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
The following general performance requirements would contribute toward
the effectiveness of a lightweight, flexible boom intended for emergency
harbor service:
Tension Strength
The boom's fabric should contain the flotation pods, ballast and vertical
stiffeners, and should be strong enough to eliminate the need for outside
chain or cable tension members. The tensile strength of the fabric and
reinforcements should, therefore, be capable of withstanding total tension
stresses up to 6,000#. It was noted that some boom fabrics which
purportedly could withstand high stresses, failed at their seams. The
tensile strength at overlaps or seams should be at least equal to the
fabric itself.
Tension strength should be distributed equally throughout the 18" of the
boom width, so that tears which have been observed to be the result of
unequal stresses, when separate tension members are provided, would be
avoided.
Another fault that the suggested integral tensile strength would correct
is that caused by human oversight, which neglects to connect chain to
chain or cable to cable at boom ends. Furthermore, the snagging problems
created by cable or chain appendages would be eliminated.
Fabric Characteristics
Besides providing for the boom's tensile strength, the fabric must be
made of a tough, abrasion resistant material impervious to the sun's heat
and ultraviolet radiation, the coldest anticipated temperatures, the
effects of salt water, and all types of petroleum products for reasonably
long periods of time. It can be expected that the boom's fabric will be
subjected to the scuffing and abrasion on rough concrete surfaces, to the
sharp wood splinters of pier stringpieces, and even to the impact of nails
and spikes. The fabric must resist any tendency to tear after it has
been cut or punctured, requiring a high notch strength. Some boom fabrics
observed cannot withstand this type of torture treatment and even tend to
crack in cold weather.
But the ideal boom fabric must, if it is to serve its purpose, be excep-
tionally durable. The emergency service boom will be launched and retrieved
frequently, but would not be expected to be in the water for very long
periods of time, as would the boom used at a bulk storage plant or by
a clean-up contractor. It is in the handling of boom that most damage
and wear to its outer fabric can be anticipated. Therefore, there is a
need for a tough, resilient boom fabric.
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Towability
At times it may be necessary for a fireboat to tow several hundred feet
of boom to a spill location, possibly against the current. This is the
most severe type of towing to which a boom could be subjected in a harbor.
For a boom to give satisfactory harbor service, it should be towable from
one end, up to 5 knots without physical damage. Dynamometer tests indi-
cated a total stress of 230 Ibs for 300 ft of 18" boom which was towed
in a tailed-out attitude at about 5 knots behind a fireboat. The smooth
design and limited bulk of the ideal boom should keep tow stresses well
within this limit, and the equal distribution of tow tension throughout
the boom should insure against fabric failure.
The boom's flexibility and smooth design must provide sufficient water
mobility to permit easy deployment and oil herding even by a small boat
with an outboard motor. Towing of 200 ft or 300 ft of boom tailed-out in
a straight line could be handled with relative ease by an outboard-
equipped small boat in a sheltered area. For oil herding purposes, two
6-1/2 horsepower outboards could tow a "U" configuration of the boom
in a quiescent area.
Fire Resistivity
An oil containment boom must serve its prime function in controlling the
spread of accidentally spilled oil. If the fire resistive feature does
not restrict the performance of this function, fire resistivity may be
accepted as a desirable and added bonus. However, at the present time
the following characteristics of the "fire resistive" booms are inconsis-
tent with the criteria for an ideal boom for harbor service:
To begin with, the weight and physical dimensions of this type boom, as
well as assembly requirements such as float attachment or connection of
boom sections, preclude fast launching and easy retrieval. Those fire-
resistive booms investigated are not adaptable to the storage facilities
and launching facilities commonly used. Fire resistive booms now
marketed might be suitable for use as constant barriers in areas where
the spill frequency is high, but their use by an emergency service would
not be feasible.
It would not be possible to prescribe the use of such a boom for use as
a fire control implement. There is no available record of the use of
such a boom at actual fire operations and it would be unlikely that a
fire department would adopt this technique in favor of present fire
extinguishing methods. Present fire control systems in a harbor can be
activated quickly and certainly have greater flexibility than a system
for surrounding a spill fire prior to commencement of extinguishment
operations.
The cost of "fire resistive" boom is considerably higher than the proposed
ideal boom would be, and higher than most comparably sized containment
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booms.
Weight
Being a lightweight boom, the optimum weight recommended is somewhat less
than 2 Ibs per foot. This prescribed weight will allow for the necessary
structural components, insure the boom's performance in the water and yet
be easy for a small work crew to handle.
Cost
The ideal boom must be attractively priced so that purchasing agents with
limited funds can consider procurement of the boom in meaningful quanti-
ties. Although cost estimating for a manufactured product is rather
risky, the ideal boom should be marketable at less than $12.00 per foot.
The useful life expectancy of the ideal boom, with reasonable maintenance
care, should be a minimum of five years.
Color
A bright yellow would provide for ready identification of the boom as an
area to be avoided by unconcerned vessels, thereby contributing to the
reduction of boom damage caused by boats.
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SECTION VIII
BOOM STORAGE AND HANDLING
Provisions for the storage and use of oil spill containment boom were
never dreamed of when existing harbor vessels, docks and waterfront
storage buildings were designed. Therefore, in establishing the perfor-
mance criteria for an ideal boom, adaptability to existing or easily
created storage facilities is a matter of concern. Criteria for maximum
storability in space available and for easy handling by limited personnel
were an outgrowth of Project experience. Operational tests of several
modes of storage were undertaken with four types of boom. The booms
were: (a) a heavy 36" boom having self-contained flotation, weighing
about 4 Ibs per foot; (b) a light 36" boom with attachable flotation,
weighing about 2 Ibs per foot, and (c) two types of light, 18" boom
with self-contained flotation, one of which weighed 1.5 Ibs per foot, the
other about 2.5 Ibs.
Dockside Storage
Before storage and deployment facilities could be prepared aboard a
fireboat, boom was stored at dockside for quick loading in case of a
spill emergency. Boom was hand-carried from the dock, then flaked out
along the length of the boat's deck for easy launching at spills or test
exercises. It soon became apparent that light weight and considerable
flexibility would be necessary if the standard crew of four men were to
work rapidly and with ease. The type (a) boom which weighed more than
4 Ibs per foot proved to be too heavy and cumbersome to be considered as
an emergency service boom.
Other handling and storage problems related to delays caused by affixing
floats and/or storage problems associated with the type (b) boom and the
handling of one of the type (c) booms because of rigid longitudinal
members. These made handling difficult when changing direction, stacking
for storage, flaking on deck and retrieving over the boat's rail. The
need for on-boat storage became apparent. Loading of 200 feet of a type
(c) boom with 6 foot articulations from the dock to a deployment array on
a boat deck took six minutes, compared to a "typical" overall response
time (call to on-scene) of ten minutes, when stored on the boat.
The possibility of storing boom on pallets or in nets and then lifting it
aboard the fireboat with the boat's power davit had to be rejected. It
was found that at low tide the boat's davit was too low to lift the boom
over the dock edge. However, this obstacle can be overcome when planning
a shoreside boom storage depot by providing loading equipment ashore or
utilizing a mooring facility having a sufficiently low profile. Also,
if dock storage must be resorted to, those comments which follow relating
to pallet, reel or box storage aboard a boat, apply.
Boat Storage
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Three modes of boat storage were tested for booms up to 300 feet in length,
namely storage on a large hose reel; in a sheltered deck area on wood
pallets and lastly, in a storage box. Due to limited deck space, and to
avoid interference with the fireboat's primary function, it was not
possible to carry boom already flaked out along the length of the boat's
deck. This restriction would also apply to any harbor craft for which
oil spill control is a secondary job. The objective was to determine the
best storage mode and the boom design criteria dictated by storage.
Reel Storage
The possibility of storing a boom on a large reel was given consideration.
To test the concept, a fire hose reel measuring 5 feet overall in diameter,
5 feet wide and containing a spool 5 feet long (width of the reel) and 9
inches in diameter was made available. The reel was situated on the main
deck at the stern of the fireboat. Three hundred feet of 36" boom with
attachable floats were used in this experiment. With the flotation removed,
the boom was wound around the spool of the reel. When used the reel was
turned to unwind the boom and the floats were attached. The services of
two men were required to affix the floats, one man on each side of the
boom. Unreeling also required the commitment of two men. In a timed test,
four men launched 300 feet of this boom in approximately 18 minutes,
compared with 3 minutes for a light boom with integral flotation.
It was determined that application of the reel storage concept was incom-
patible with the self-contained flotation concept of the ideal boom.
Flat storage is preferable for the ideal boom, not only because of the
usual availability of such storage, but because of the build-up problem
which would occur if it were reel-stored. Build-up on a reel would
mitigate against compact storage. However, a recently developed 15"
boom, designed for harbor service having self-contained flotation, is
reported as being adaptable to reel storage.
Some of the disadvantages associated with reel storing boom with detachable
floats proved to be: the large storage space requirement of floats; the
tedious jobs of attaching and detaching the floats; the launching delay
caused by float attachment; the tendency of floats to become detached.
Deck Storage on Pallets
This mode of storage is comparable to box storage insofar as the boom's
readiness for use is concerned. The ideal boom could be stored on stan-
dard wood pallets, since it would be sufficiently flexible to conform to
pallet dimensions, and the boom's limited bulk would allow for quantity
storage. It must be expected that pallet storage is not as orderly as
box storage and spillage of the boom over the pallet sides can be expected.
Although the ideal boom should be impervious to the elements, storage in
a protective box would keep it dry and free of ice in winter, and there-
fore insure easier handling. Box storage is also more orderly than piling
the boom on deck. Launching of 300 feet of 18" boom with self-contained
flotation can be expected to take approximately four minutes or less, as
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opposed to eighteen minutes for boom to which flotation members must be
attached.
Box Storage
An 18" lightweight, flexible boom described herein as an ideal boom for
emergency harbor service is very adaptable to storage in boxes of varied
dimensions. The dimensions of a storage box would be dictated in most
cases by the amount of deck space available for this use, and the dimensions
of the flotation units. Some available 18" booms with contained flotation
would require boxes between 6' - 7' long due to the length of their rigid
structural members. Space limitations may preclude or severely limit the
storage or use of these booms.
The bulk requirements of the ideal boom should be kept within limits which
would not only assure satisfactory performance while in the water, but
would also assure that meaningful quantities of boom could be stored aboard
the emergency response vessel. Excessive flotation bulk should be avoided
and maximum flexibility provided by articulations every 2 feet or less.
To insure that adequate quantities of boom could be carried aboard a fire-
boat or similar harbor craft, the ideal boom would occupy about 25 cu ft
per 100 ft of boom. A box measuring 6 ft long by 4 ft wide by 3 ft 6 in.
high would be more than ample for 300 ft of such boom. A box measuring
about 4' x 4' x 3' 6" could hold 200', and one measuring about 8* x 3'
x 3' could contain 250 ft of the ideal boom. It might be noted that a
box higher than 4 ft above a deck becomes inconvenient for easy removal
and replacement of even the light boom recommended. This box should be
placed in a vessel's stern section so that boom can be launched and re-
trieved over the stern.
Project experience indicates that such a box should have one end and its
cover easily removable, with its floor raised slightly above the deck,
and should contain provisions for drainage. A convenient construction
material for the suggested storage box is 3/4" marine plywood.
General Recommendations
1. Because of its excessive weight and bulk, heavy 36" boom is not
adaptable to the needs of a quick emergency response service for a harbor.
2. A recommended optimum boom weight would be two pounds or less per foot.
The lighter booms tested approximated this weight limitation and posed no
handling or exertion problems for personnel.
3. Flexibility is a necessary boom requirement for handling and storage
as well as oil containment. A boom array must be susceptible to easy
change in direction when being launched, retrieved, deployed in the water,
flaked on deck and stored. Longitudinal rigidity and infrequent articu-
lations are objectionable features in a boom. Frequent articulations
(possibly every foot or two) are desirable.
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4. To facilitate handling, the upper portion of a boom should be provided
with hand grips at least at 5-ft intervals. Having to grab a smooth,
possibly slippery surface is inefficient and frustrating. Such grips
could also be used for line attachment when retrieving and hauling boom
aboard a boat by the vessel's power capstan.
5. The ideal boom should be offered in lengths of 2 sizes, 100 ft and 50
ft. The shorter length would be intended to fill out a boom complement
and squeeze as much boom as possible aboard a boat. Operationally, the
100 ft lengths would be preferable since end connections would be kept
to a minimum.
6. The exterior surface of the ideal boom should be smooth enough to run
over a boat's cap rail or a pier's stringpiece without snagging. A smooth
surface will, of course, also facilitate towing. Hardware protrusions are
unacceptable for an emergency service boom because of snagging and personal
injury possibilities.
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SECTION IX
PERSONNEL ACCEPTANCE
In the belief that if a tool works well and is easy to use it will be
accepted by those using it, the suggestions and gripes of firemen
handling various types of boom were collected and evaluated.
Feed-back from the men related to their observations concerning some
boom failures at spills; to the durability and weaknesses of boom con-
struction material; to the handling characteristics of boom in regard
to launching, retrieval and storing; and lastly, to boom cleaning
problems.
These personnel suggestions, although offered in an informal manner,
were given thoughtful consideration, and where appropriate, were included
in the criteria for the ideal boom for harbor service.
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SECTION X
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The practical use of various types of containment boom at actual spills
and at numerous test exercises provided the basic information for this
report. The Officers and Members of the Marine Division of the NYFD and
the personnel of Alpine Geophysical Associates were the principal project
participants.
The guidance of Mr. Howard Lamp'l, EPA Project Officer, and the coopera-
tion of the City of New York and the US Navy in providing the test basin
at Wallabout Creek, Brooklyn, New York,is gratefully acknowledged.
29
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SECTION XI
REFERENCES
1. Tidal Current Charts - New York Harbor, U.S. Department of Commerce
Coast and Geodetic Survey, Seventh Edition, 1956.
2. Testing and Evaluation of Oil Spill Recovery Equipment, by Maine Port
Authority, Maine State Pier, Portland, Maine 94111, for the Water Quality
Office, Environmental Protection Agency, Program Number 15080 DOZ,
December, 1970.
3. Ocean Industry, "Oil Containment Barrier Looks Good in Sea Tests",
October, 1971, p. 21.
A. Oil Pollution Control Technology Training Manual - Environmental
Protection Agency, Edison Water Quality Laboratory Training Program,
February, 1971.
5. Milz, E. A. - "An Evaluation - Oil Spill Control Equipment and
Techniques", A.P.I.'s Division of Transportation Pipeline Conference,
Dallas, 1970.
6. Oil Containment Systems - Oil & Hazardous Materials Research Section,
Edison Water Quality Laboratory, Edison, New Jersey, 08817, October, 1970.
U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1973—514-153/222
31
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SELECTED WATER
RESOURCES ABSTRACTS
INPUT TRANSACTION FORM
3. Accession No.
W
4. Title A RAPIDLY DEPLOYABLE OIL CONTAINMENT BOOM
FOR EMERGENCY HARBOR USE
12/71
7. Author(s)
Cunningham, John J.
9. Organization
Alpine Geophysical Associates, Inc.
under contract to
New York City Fire Department
5. R ort D,
e,
8, Performing Organ'Cation
Report Nti.
10. Project Wo. i5QQQ pyp
11. Contract/Grant No.
113. Type, Repot md
: Period Covered
12. Sponsoring
IS. Supplementary Notes
Environmental Protection Agency* W.Q.O.
Environmental Protection Agency report
number, EPA-R2-73-112 , February 1973.
16. Abstract
This report attempt* to describe performance criteria for an ideal oil spill containment
boom for emergency harbor service. The type of boom recommended is that which an
emergency service, such as a fire department or a plant team could transport promptly
to a spill incident within a harbor and deploy quickly to contain the spilled oil. The
experience acquired by the Marine Division of the NYFD over the course of one year, both
at active spill control operations and in test exercises, serves as the principal source
of information for this report. It is hoped that tke information offered will lead to
the development of the ideal boom as envisioned.
Among the boom criteria developed are: recommended size and performance capabilities;
storage and handling problems; optimum design characteristics.
This report was submitted in partial fulfillment of Project Number 15080 FVP, under the
partial sponsorship of the Water Quality Office, Environmental Protection Agency.
17a. Descriptors
i?b. identifiers
Oil Spills, Harbors, *Water Pollution Control
*
Concept, Oil Spill Containment Boom, Fire Department, Emergency
Service, Performance Criteria, Quiescent Water
17Q. COWRR Field & Group
05D
18. Availability
29. S<"uritfC'ass.
(Report)
20. Security Class.
o. of
22. Pr/c«
Send To:
WATER RESOURCES SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION CENTER
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
WASHINGTON, D. C. 2O24O
Abstractor
John J. Cunningham
| institution Alpine Geophysical Associates. Inc. for NYFD
WRSIC IO2 (REV. JUNE 1971)
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