Ohmsett is the National Oil Spill Response & Renewable Energy Test Facility, located in

Leonardo, New Jersey Leonardo is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) within Middletown Township, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States.

. The name Ohmsett is an acronym for "Oil and Hazardous Materials Simulated Environmental Test Tank".

Facility

This is the only facility of its kind where full-scale oil spill response equipment testing, research, and training can be conducted in a marine environment with oil under controlled environmental conditions. Variables such as waves, temperature, and oil types are able to be controlled. A benefit of this facility is that it provides an environmentally safe place to conduct objective testing and to develop devices and techniques for the control of oil and hazardous material spills. The mission of Ohmsett is to strengthen awareness of oil spill pollution prevention and response methods, while at the same time remaining committed to the well being of its customers, employees, and associates. The facility, located an hour south of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, in

Leonardo Leonardo is a masculine given name, the Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese equivalent of the English, German, and Dutch name, Leonard Leonard or ''Leo'' is a common English masculine given name and a surname. The given name and surname originate ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, is maintained and operated by the

Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE "Bessie") is an agency under the United States Department of the Interior. Established in 2011, BSEE is the lead agency in charge of improving safety and ensuring environmental protection r ...

(BSEE), a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages the nation's natural gas, oil and other mineral resources on the outer continental shelf (OCS).
Applied Research Associates Inc.
performs the operation and maintenance of Ohmsett for the BSEE.

History

The Ohmsett facility was originally built by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1974 and was operated by that same agency until 1987. At that time, it was known as the Oil and Hazardous Materials Simulated Environmental Test Tank, or OHMSETT. It is now just referred to by the acronym. In 1989, Ohmsett was closed and responsibility for the facility was transferred to the U.S. Navy (USN). This was done because the facility is located on the

Naval Weapons Station Earle Naval Weapons Station Earle is a United States Navy base in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. Its distinguishing feature is a pier in Sandy Hook Bay where ammunition can be loaded and unloaded from warships at a safe distance from heavi ...

in Leonardo, NJ. Title VII of the

Oil Pollution Act of 1990 The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA) (101 H.R.1465, P.L. 101-380) was passed by the 101st United States Congress and signed by President George H. W. Bush. It works to avoid oil spills from vessels and facilities by enforcing removal of spilled ...

(OPA 90) gave

Minerals Management Service The Minerals Management Service (MMS) was an agency of the United States Department of the Interior that managed the nation's natural gas, oil and other mineral resources on the outer continental shelf (OCS). Due to perceived conflict of intere ...

(MMS) the lead responsibility for reactivation of Ohmsett in the aftermath of the

Exxon Valdez oil spill The ''Exxon Valdez'' oil spill occurred in Prince William Sound, Alaska, on March 24, 1989. ''Exxon Valdez'', an oil supertanker owned by Exxon Shipping Company bound for Long Beach, California struck Prince William Sound's Bligh Reef, west o ...

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

. The MMS was also charged with the continuing operation and maintenance of the facility as a national test facility. The MMS refurbished Ohmsett beginning in 1990 and reopened it for testing in 1992. Costs for the yearly operation and maintenance of Ohmsett are covered by the

Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated ...

(OSTLF). The OSTLF derives its funds from a tax on companies that produce or transport oil. Because of this, no appropriated taxpayer dollars are used to support this unique oil spill response technology testing, training, and research facility.

References

External links

*'
Ohmsett
'' * MMS Ohmsett web sit

* Oil Pollution Act of 199

{{coord, 40.425364, N, 74.06756, W, display=title Buildings and structures in Monmouth County, New Jersey Oil spills in the United States Middletown Township, New Jersey

Facility

History

See also

References

External links