FLEXIBILITY FOR NOAA IN DEVELOPMENT ANDAPPLICATION OF MULTI-HAZARD CONTINGENCYPLANS AND RESPONSE TOOLS: THE SANCTUARIESHAZARDOUS INCIDENT LOGISTICS DATABASE SYSTEM(SHIELDS)

摘要

In 2001, given the lack of appropriate off-the shelf products, thernNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) undertookrnthe development of a secure, web-based set of contingencyrnplans and tools for the National Marine Sanctuary Programrn(NMSP) to facilitate making critical decisions about environmentalrntradeoffs during an incident. This suite of tools is called thernSanctuaries Hazardous Incident Emergency Logistics DatabasernSystem or SHIELDS. SHIELDS gives sanctuary managers andrntrustees efficient access to numerous NOAA databases and resources.rnThis includes GIS data and ArcIMS mapping capabilities,rnreal-time environmental data, and information on groundings andrnother incidents. The challenge was to develop consistent multihazardrncontingency plans for potential threats. These threatsrnrange in scope and type from oil spills and hurricanes to deterioratingrnunderwater dumpsites, and vary geographically across 14rnsites that are widely divergent in size, location and type of marinernresources. For example, the proposed Northwestern HawaiianrnIslands National Marine Sanctuary is the largest marine protectedrnarea in the U.S., over 12,000nm long and 100nm wide of coralrnreefs, ocean and coastal waters and submerged lands, whilernThunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Lake Huron, Michiganrnfocuses on protecting historical and cultural resources. ThernNational Marine Sanctuaries Program has national regulationsrnand policies, and each site has specific regulations and resourcernprotection issues. These issues are complicated by complex jurisdictions,rnwith nearly half of the national sanctuaries incorporatingrnstate waters and shorelines.rnAs NOAA developed SHIELDS and trained staff to work withrnthe program, it became apparent that the tool was more flexiblernand had broader utility than was originally thought. SHIELDS canrnbe used to address issues associated with permitting, managementrnplan reviews, small boat handling, boat safety, general safetyrntraining, as well as preparedness and response planning and implementation.rnThe development and training process has fosteredrncloser working relationships with state, federal and tribal resourcerntrustees and identified information gaps to be addressed withrnresearch. SHIELDS has served to bring NOAA to a better level ofrnawareness and preparedness for its stewardship responsibilities.