COSRVA & S-COSRVA - Shoreline Circumpolar Oil Spill Response Viability Analysis

Oil Spill Viability Analysis Online Tool

Phase I COSRVA report

The purpose of the Phase I of the COSRVA project was to better understand the potential for different oil spill response systems to operate in the Arctic marine environment due to the increasing concern on the risk of oil spills as human activity increases in the Arctic.

A response viability analysis estimates the percentage of time that metocean conditions may be favourable, marginal, or not favourable for a particular oil spill response system. The COSRVA report considers the combined effects of wind, waves, air temperature, wind chill, sea ice, superstructure icing, horizontal visibility, and daylight/darkness on 10 marine oil spill response systems. Those systems represent 9 examples of proven mechanical recovery, dispersant, and in-situ burning response systems currently in use somewhere in the Arctic region. The tenth system analyzed, in-situ burning with herders, is currently under development.

Circumpolar Oil Spill Response Viability Analysis - Technical Report

Phase II COSRVA report

Phase II of the project was approved at EPPR I 2018 in Helsinki and is part of the follow-up to the AC Framework Plan for Oil Pollution Prevention (FPOPP).

Objective of the second phase was to develop a web based GIS tool, that enables the users to work online directly via computer, tablet or smartphone. Implementing new and improved metocean data that has been made available since the Phase I of COSRVA was approved at the Fairbanks Ministerial meeting in 2017 was part of developing the project in Phase II. The online COSRVA tool was developed in cooperation by EPPR, Norwegian Coastal Administration and DNV GL.

COSRVA Map Portal

Phase III S-COSRVA

The Shoreline Treatment – Circumpolar Oil Spill Response Viability Assessment (S-COSRVA) tool was developed to enhance strategic oil spill response planning in coastal Arctic environments. It builds on previous EPPR efforts to improve regional response capacity by providing responders with a decision support tool to identify and prioritize coastal areas of high ecological, cultural, and socio-economic value in the event of a spill. The new project phase will test and evaluate the use of the S-COSRVA tool primarily through historical case studies (real incidents and near misses), followed by simulated scenarios, and, where feasible, actual spill incidents in Canadian waters, with a focus on refining its operational utility.

Objectives:

• Evaluate the operational viability of the S-COSRVA tool by first applying it to historical case studies (real incidents and near misses), then to simulated scenarios, and, where feasible, to real-world incidents in Canadian Arctic and sub-Arctic waters, with potential expansion to other Arctic States.
• Assess the tool’s utility for developing response strategies and tactics through area planning and exercise design.
• Determine the tool’s adaptability to different geographies and seasonal conditions, including non-Arctic regions during winter months, and potentially other regions covered by the database.
• Explore opportunities to incorporate ecological, biological, and shoreline sensitivity data.
• Support uptake of the tool by inviting Arctic States to participate in the project.
• Generate findings to inform policy, guide future tool enhancements, and support broader implementation across Arctic jurisdictions.