MSRC SHUTTLE BARGE SYSTEM FOR SHALLOW-WATER OIL SPILL CLEANUP

ABSTRACT When the U.S. Coast Guard stipulated that 20 percent of oil spill response requirement had to be capable of use in shallow water, MSRC began the design of a new system. To meet the recovery capacity requirements, early decisions mandated that the system be operable in two feet of water with a swift current, capable of beaching without damage, road transportable without permits, and comply with all Coast Guard rules for documentation and inspection. The resulting shuttle barge systems are stored, on trailers, at 15 coastal U.S. sites, and in Hawaii and the U.S. Virgin Islands.