A blowout is an uncontrolled release of oil or gas from a well. Surface Use of Dispersants Reflects a Significant Body of Research, but Gaps Remain

According to experts, agency officials, and specialists we spoke with,  much is known about the use of dispersants on the surface of the water;  however, they said that gaps remain in several research areas. For example, most  experts told us that the use of chemical dispersants increases  biodegradation rates, but many told us that more research was needed to  quantify the actual rate at which biodegradation occurs. Experts Highlighted Two Emerging Areas in Need of Further Research

Although much is known about the use of dispersants on the surface of  the water, experts highlighted two emerging areas in which additional  research is needed—specifically, the subsurface application and effects  of dispersants in deep water environments and the use of dispersants in  Arctic conditions and other cold water environments. Previously discussed knowledge gaps about fate and transport of  chemically dispersed oil also apply in the Arctic, with one expert noting  that more research is needed on biodegradation rates in the Arctic  because the cold temperatures may slow the process down. Specifically, six federal agencies have  funded over $15.5 million of dispersant-related research projects since  fiscal year 2000, with about half of this total federal funding—over $8  million—occurring since the Deepwater Horizon incident. One of these co-funded projects was the  2005 National Academy of Sciences report on dispersants. Over 40 Percent of Federally Funded Dispersant Research Has Focused on Effectiveness

Over 40 percent of the 106 federally funded research projects on  dispersants have focused at least in part on effectiveness, with the  remaining projects spread across a broad range of research areas, as  noted in table 3. Specifically, BSEE has funded projects on the  effectiveness of dispersants on different types of oil and under specific  environmental conditions. General. Agency officials, experts, and specialists identified  inconsistent and limited levels of funding as a challenge to developing  research related to the use and effects of chemical dispersants. In addition, some industry  representatives told us that maintaining a long-term focus for dispersant  research can be a challenge for industry groups, as there are many  different oil spill research priorities and responsibilities in addition to  dispersants. Agency officials, experts, and specialists also  identified scientific challenges, in particular, conducting research that  replicates realistic oil spill conditions and obtaining oil and dispersants for  testing. In the absence of an unexpected spill, another  option to conduct dispersant-related research could come through the  intentional discharge of oil for the express purpose of studying how the  oil responds with or without the application of dispersants. Communication challenges. However, these reports are intended only to summarize federal  research efforts and do not track or cross-reference related research that  has been funded solely by industry or non-governmental sources. Some groups, including the Interagency  Coordinating Committee on Oil Pollution Research, have developed lists of  past or ongoing federal research projects related to dispersants, but there  currently is no mechanism that tracks dispersant research across all  sources and highlights key recent and ongoing research projects. Recommendations for Executive Action

To ensure existing and ongoing dispersant research is adequately  captured and broadly available to different groups and generations of  researchers, to ensure that new research undertaken by the federal  government will not duplicate other research efforts, and to ensure that  adequate attention is given to better understanding dispersant use in  deep water and Arctic environments, we recommend that the  Commandant of the Coast Guard direct the Chair of the Interagency  Coordinating Committee on Oil Pollution Research to take the following  two actions, in coordination with member agencies:    Ensure that in the course of revising the Interagency Committee’s  research and technology plan, applications of dispersants subsurface  and in Arctic conditions are among the areas prioritized for  subsequent research. DHS concurred with all three recommendations made to it. Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

Our objectives were to examine (1) what is known about the use of  chemical dispersants and their effects, and knowledge gaps about or  limitations to their use, if any; (2) the extent to which federal agencies and  other entities have taken steps to enhance knowledge on chemical  dispersant use and its effects; and (3) challenges, if any, that researchers  and federal agencies face in their attempts to enhance knowledge on  chemical dispersant use and its effects. To determine the extent to which federal agencies and other entities have  taken steps to enhance knowledge on chemical dispersant use and its  effects, and what challenges, if any, researchers have faced, we analyzed  information on federal research efforts since fiscal year 2000 supplied by  the key federal agencies conducting research on dispersant use and  effects: the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Safety and  Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), the Department of Homeland  Security’s United States Coast Guard, the Environmental Protection  Agency (EPA), the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS)  National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Centers for Disease Control and  Prevention (CDC), the Department of Commerce’s NOAA, and the  National Science Foundation (NSF).
Why GAO Did This Study

In April 2010, an explosion onboard the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico led to a release of approximately 206 million gallons of oil. When an oil spill occurs, responders have several options for managing the environmental impacts, including using chemical dispersants to break the oil into smaller droplets, which can promote biodegradation and help prevent oil from coming on shore. GAO was asked to review (1) what is known about the use of chemical dispersants and their effects, and any knowledge gaps or limitations; (2) the extent to which federal agencies and other entities have taken steps to enhance knowledge on dispersant use and its effects; and (3) challenges, if any, that researchers and federal agencies face in their attempts to enhance knowledge. GAO collaborated with the National Academy of Sciences to identify and recruit experts on dispersant use and conducted interviews with these experts, agency officials, and other specialists, and reviewed key documents and reports.

What GAO Found

According to experts, agency officials, and specialists, much is known about the use of chemical dispersants on the surface of the water, but gaps remain in several research areas. For example, experts generally agreed that there is a basic understanding of the processes that influence where and how oil travels through the water, but that more research was needed to quantify the actual rate at which dispersants biodegrade. In addition, all the experts GAO spoke with said that little is known about the application and effects of dispersants applied subsurface, noting that specific environmental conditions, such as higher pressures, may influence dispersants effectiveness. Knowledge about the use and effectiveness of dispersants in the Arctic is also limited, with less research conducted on dispersant use there than in temperate or tropical climates. For example, one expert noted that more research is needed on biodegradation rates for oil in the Arctic because the cold temperature may slow the process down.
Federal agencies have funded over $15.5 million of dispersant-related research since fiscal year 2000, with more than half of the total funding occurring since the Deepwater Horizon incident. Most of these 106 projects were funded by the Department of the Interiors Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Over 40 percent of the research projects were focused at least in part on testing dispersant effectiveness. For example, BSEE funded 28 projects on the efficacy of dispersants on different types of oil and under different ocean conditions. In contrast, relatively few projects were focused on applying dispersants subsurface or in the Arctic. Specifically, NSF funded three projects looking at the use and effects of subsurface dispersant application, and BSEE and EPA funded the eight projects related to the use of chemical dispersants in Arctic or cold water environments.
Researchers face resource, scientific, and communication challenges related to dispersant research. Agency officials, experts, and specialists identified inconsistent and limited levels of funding as a challenge to developing research on the use and effects of chemical dispersants. For example, because support for dispersant research fluctuates, with temporary increases following a major spill, it is difficult for federal agencies to fund longer term studies, such as those needed to understand chronic toxicological effects of dispersants. In addition, researchers face scientific challenges with respect to dispersants, including being able to conduct research that replicates realistic oil spill conditions. Conducting research in the open ocean faces several logistical barriers, and laboratory experiments are unable to fully approximate the scale and complexity of ocean conditions. Lastly, agency officials, experts, and specialists told GAO that it can be a challenge to communicate and track research. Although some organizations have attempted to compile lists of dispersant-related research, currently there is no mechanism that tracks dispersant research across all sources and highlights past and ongoing research projects. For example, the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Oil Pollution Researcha multi-agency committee chaired by the Coast Guardmaintains a list of federally sponsored oil spill related research, but does not track or cross-reference related research that has been funded solely by industry or nongovernmental sources.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends, among other things, that the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Oil Pollution Research periodically provide updated information on key dispersant research by nonfederal sources. Also, the Interagency Committee should ensure that subsurface and Arctic applications are among the future priority research areas. The Departments of the Interior, Commerce, and Homeland Security, and the EPA generally concurred with the recommendations made to them.