Oil Spill Exercise in Portsmouth on September 16

Portsmouth, NH - The Portsmouth Oil Spill Response Workgroup is sponsoring an oil spill exercise on September 16, 2020 from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM. This exercise will provide participants with an opportunity to practice boom deployment skills and assess the capability to coordinate a spill response from remote locations. It will focus on performing command functions, decision making, coordination and integration with other organizations from remote locations using virtual meeting platforms. The expected outcome of the exercise will be improved working relationships between various local, state and federal agencies. Additionally, a field component will be conducted placing oil spill boom in the area of Hampton Harbor. The deployment will assess the capabilities to successfully place a newly revised spill protection strategy, communicate with the virtual command post and to demonstrate techniques for other agencies.

The following agencies and organizations will participate in the exercise.

    NH Department of Environmental Services
    NH Fish and Game
    NH Port Authority
    Hampton Fire Dept.
    Maine Department of Environmental Protection
    Maine Inland Fish and Wildlife
    Maine Department of Marine Resources
    US Environmental Protection Agency
    US Coast Guard Northern New England
    Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Facility Response Team

For more information on this exercise please contact Jason Domke, Planning and Preparedness Manager, NHDES Spill Response and Complaint Investigation Section at (603) 559-1506.