PROJECT MANAGER

“Norm’s Island is a conservation and education center located south of Billings along the Yellowstone River. It’s also one of the only places people can let their dogs off leash to run around. Shoreline Cleanup and Assessment Technique, or SCAT, teams evaluated the amount of oil damage at Norm’s Island from the July 1 ExxonMobil spill. The next step is major cleanup. “The water just must have went through and left traces of oil all over the grass. It gets pretty black and sticky, and we go in there and clip it, pull it, or whatever we have to do to get it out of there,” Field Technician Nathan Hamburg said.”

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Floodwater carried oil into pastures and ditches along the banks of one of America’s most picturesque rivers, leaving vegetation and a handful of birds stained brown, said Jim Martin, regional administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency.

Cleanup crews, which include employees and contractors of Exxon Mobil, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Coast Guard and the state of Montana, laid pads to absorb oil and, near large pools, booms to collect and vacuum it, Mr. Martin said.

Cleanup crews worked to clear oil. To broaden its search for the oil, Exxon planned to test whether the river was safe to navigate with a jet-powered boat.

Oil is concentrated on a stretch of about 20 miles of river between Laurel, Mont., and Billings, Mont. However, federal officials say flights over the area showed indications of oil as far as 240 miles downstream of the rupture.

The river flows through Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming into Montana, past the 104,000 residents of Billings and toward the Missouri River in North Dakota, where officials hope oil won’t reach. Many of its banks traditionally have been pristine, teeming with wildlife and offering some of the world’s most famous fly fishing.

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Location:
Emerging Enterprise Center at Foley Hoag LLP
Bay Colony Corporate Center
1000 Winter Street
Suite 4000, North Entrance
Waltham, Massachusetts 02451

Description:
The Deepwater Horizon disaster was responsible for the deaths of 11 people and the release of over 206,000,000 gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico. It was the largest oil spill in American history. The cleanup of the spill was a monumental effort that spanned across the entire Gulf Coast. Several New England companies of varying sizes were involved in the clean up of the spill. One year later, this informal discussion will go over the challenges faced by those who worked on the cleanup.

The Enviro101 series is designed to provide an overview of the areas that are most significant to the EBC community. It is also an opportunity for young professionals to gain speaking experience by presenting to their peers in a supportive forum, and like all our events, is an excellent opportunity for networking and building new business relationships. This is our third installation in the series.

Moderator:
Erin Ailworth, Business reporter for the Boston Globe

Speakers include:
Garrett Quinn, Trident Environmental
Jennifer Cragan, Chemist, Applied Science Associates, Inc.
Kevin Sheppard, Clean Harbors

Time:
5:30pm – 6:30pm – Registration and Networking
6:30 pm – 7:30 pm – Program

Registration fee is $15 and includes drinks and appetizers.

Register Now!

Mr. Nineve will speak about Trident’s capabilities and responses to marine and other large spills since 2003, including Buzzard’s Bay, Hurricane Katrina, BP oil spill, and many other well known disasters.

What is asbestos?
Asbestos is the name given to a group of naturally occurring minerals used in certain products, such as building materials and vehicle brakes, to resist heat and corrosion. Asbestos includes chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, tremolite asbestos, anthophyllite asbestos, actinolite asbestos, and any of these materials that have been chemically treated and/or altered.

What are the dangers of asbestos exposure to workers?
The inhalation of asbestos fibers by workers can cause serious diseases of the lungs and other organs that may not appear until years after the exposure has occurred. For instance, asbestosis can cause a buildup of scar-like tissue in the lungs and result in loss of lung function that often progresses to disability and death. Asbestos fibers associated with these health risks are too small to be seen with the naked eye, and smokers are at higher risk of developing some asbestos-related diseases.

Are you being exposed to asbestos?
General industry employees may be exposed to asbestos during the manufacture of asbestos-containing products or when performing brake and clutch repairs. In the construction industry, exposure occurs when workers disturb asbestos-containing materials during the renovation or demolition of buildings. Employees in the maritime environment also may be exposed when renovating or demolishing ships constructed with asbestos-containing materials. In addition, custodial workers may be exposed through contact with deteriorating asbestos-containing materials in buildings.

More information can be found here. (PDF)

A leak was detected on Line 6B of Enbridge Energy Partners’ Lakehead System on Monday, July 26, near the company’s Marshall, Mich., pipeline pumping station. The cause of the leak is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Pipeline Safety (USDOT/OPS).

An estimated 20,082 barrels (843,444 gallons) of crude oil was released from Line 6B. Of that, an estimated 8,033 barrels (337,386 gallons) reached Talmadge Creek and then the Kalamazoo River. Approximately 18,245 barrels (766,290 gallons) of crude oil has been recovered.

Within one hour of being alerted to the leak, Enbridge had emergency crews starting initial containment. At the height of the response, there were approximately 2,000-to-2,500 workers in the Marshall and Battle Creek areas. The workforce has increased and decreased as needed according to the clean-up activities that we were undertaking and per approved work plans. During the winter months, the workforce has been reduced but we expect it to increase again in the spring. We are working cooperatively with all of the federal, state and local agencies working on the response and cleanup.

You can visit http://response.enbridgeus.com/response for more information on Enbridge cleanup process.