Oiling & cleanup issues in wetlands, M/T Julie N spill, Portland, Maine

This report discusses the cleanup issues associated with the September 1996 allision (the collision of a moving object with a stationary one) and subsequent oil spill from the M/ffulie Nin Portland Harbor, Maine. The focus is primarily on the assessment and cleanup options for the oiled marshes of the upper Fore River. Extensive areas of marsh vegetation, both Spartina alterniflora and S. patens, were heavily oiled, raising many questions about how best to minimize impacts to the marsh habitat and its wildlife. Four cleanup methods were used, including low-pressure flushing, shoreline cleaning agents, cutting, and natur111 removal. Also, various techniques were nsed to assess impacts to wetlands, including aerial photography, ground-truth surveys, transects, and chemical sampling. Chemical analyses of oiled vegetation were used to quantify changes in oil concentrations and document fate and transport processes and enhanced oil biodegradation trends. Our objective is to describe the use and effectiveness of these cleanup and assessment techniques and the natural removal process in the oiled marshes of the Fore River. 1998 Ecological restoration NOS (National Ocean Service) ORR (Office of Response and Restoration) Library Public domain 1937