This guide is meant to aid local and regional response teams who may use it during spill response planning and spill events.

This guide should be adapted to site-specific circumstances.

1.1 This guide covers the use of surface washing agents to assist in the cleanup of oil spills. This guide is written with the goal of minimizing the environmental impacts of oil spills; this goal is the basis on which the recommendations are made. Aesthetic and socioeconomic factors are not considered although these and other factors are often important in spill response.

1.2 In making surface washing agent use decisions, appropriate government authorities should be consulted as required by law.

1.3 Spill responders have available several means to control or clean up spilled oil. In this guide, the use of chemical surface washing agents is considered.

1.4 This is a general guide only. It assumes the oil to be treatable and the surface washing agent to be effective, available, applied correctly, and in compliance with relevant government regulations. In the assessment of environmental sensitivity, it is assumed that the surface washing agent is non-persistent in the natural environment. Oil, as used in this guide, includes crude oils and refined petroleum products. Differences between individual surface washing agents or between different oil products are not considered.

1.5 This guide applies only to impermeable surfaces.

1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.