The four-day exercise coincided with the annual maintenance of SUPSALV equipment utilized for rapid response to pier-side oil spills and deployment to the open seas with the objective to demonstrate readiness in deploying its Tiered Preparedness and Response capability in Bahrain.
“By actively deploying spill equipment we are able to maintain technical proficiency while maintaining our longstanding partnership with environmental protection organizations in the Kingdom of Bahrain,” said Mr. Sean Suk, environmental director, NSA Bahrain. “In addition to protecting the coastlines to the best interests of our host nation, the exchange of information, technology and training is a key to an effective response in case of an actual incident.”
The SUPSALV team, led by Mr. Robert McClellan, has conducted oil spill recovery exercises at NSA Bahrain previously and assisted in real-world recovery oil spill efforts. They took lead in this year’s exercise, simulating various aspects of fuel-spill response, including containment, cleanup, environmental monitoring, and the promotion of health and safety measures.
“The ability to come out and put this equipment in the water and operate it is vital to readiness. There are so many issues in the maintenance cycle that can only be identified and addressed by using it in the field,” said McClellan, “Pairing that with the opportunity to coordinate with our other response partners, both on and off base, is what maximizes these events and ensures we are able to respond in a meaningful and effective way.”
In attendance were several host-nation agencies including Marine Emergency Mutual Aid Centre (MEMAC), Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO), APM Terminals, Bahrain Coast Guard, Ports and Maritime Affairs (PMA). Participants received a tour of the SUPSALV Emergency Ship Salvage Material (ESSM) facility where they received a briefing on the capabilities and overall functions of various salvage systems, and equipment including a command van, rigging van, salvage skimmer system van, oil containment boom van, high-speed skimmer support van, shop and firefighting system vans. Participants were also given an in-water demonstration at the floating pier where they observed the SK0050 high-speed current buster and boom-handling boats along with the oil-containment boom in an operational-skimming configuration. The participating agencies were able to assess readiness and enhance their collective ability to mitigate environmental damage and protect public health.
“This exercise demonstrates our commitment to environmental stewardship and helps to foster cooperation and communication between the U.S. Navy and host nation partners such as ourselves,” said Capt. Aref Al Awadhi, senior oil spill response officer, MEMAC. “It is a routine but important exercise that helps to ensure that we are all prepared to respond effectively to oil spills and other hazardous material incidents.”
The equipment deployment schedule was structured to comply with the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA-90) National Preparedness for Response Exercise program (NPREP) training and drill requirements for deploying skimmers, containment systems, and training for ESSM personnel. The NPREP is a voluntary program developed for spill responders to provide a mechanism for compliance while being economically feasible to adopt and sustain. Completion of the NPREP exercises satisfies all federal oil pollution response exercise requirements mandated by OPA-90.
“Mastering response procedures from a manual is a solid start, but it’s the real-time application of these procedures in a live setting that truly enhances our team’s capabilities,” said Capt. Zachariah Aperauch, commanding officer, NSA Bahrain. “I am incredibly proud of our team’s coordination and execution of this oil spill response exercise, which was demonstrated before representatives from the Kingdom of Bahrain. This exercise is a testament to our enduring partnership and dedication to our host nation.”
NSA Bahrain’s mission is to support U.S. and coalition maritime operations throughout the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations by providing security for ships, aircraft and tenants on board NSA Bahrain and assigned detachments. NSA Bahrain provides efficient and effective shore services to sustain the fleet, enable the fighter and support the family with honor, courage and commitment. For more news from NSA Bahrain, visit https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/USNSA-B
