Preventing Trash and Debris Accumulation in Offshore Oil and Gas Operations

Offshore oil and gas platforms have many neighbors in coastal waters, including marine wildlife and vegetation, commercial fishing operations, and shipping vessels.

Just like any other ship or structure in the ocean, any item brought to offshore oil and gas rigs can fall into the water if not properly secured or disposed of. Marine trash and debris can harm aquatic life and cause economic problems for any industry that depends on the ocean.

Any person or company that creates marine trash and debris can be subject to legal action. It’s important for everyone on the rig to know how to dispose of trash and secure items properly to prevent marine trash and debris.

What is Marine Trash and Debris?

Marine trash and debris are any solid items that get into the ocean that aren’t supposed to be there. These items can include natural materials such as metal and wood and man-made materials such as plastic, glass, cloth, and rubber.

Most marine trash comes from human activity on land, but it can come from derelict boats and equipment or be blown into the water during hurricanes or other storms. On offshore oil platforms, common pieces of potential debris that may need to be secured include:

• Drill pipe thread collectors
• 55-gallon drums
• Pallets
• Tools
• Personal protective equipment (PPE)

Why is Preventing Marine Trash and Debris Important?

Trash and debris can take decades or even centuries to degrade in the water. Some materials, such as plastic and glass, may not completely degrade at all. Plastic particles can degrade over time to the size of plankton, but marine life can eat these particles, making them sick. It also introduces plastic into the food chain when they’re eaten by larger fish or other animals, including humans. Marine debris can also injure or kill dolphins, whales, sea turtles, seabirds, and other wildlife.

Marine debris can also negatively affect coastal economies. If fish, oyster, or lobster population decline in a polluted area, commercial fishing operations bring in smaller catches, reducing their profits and affecting the local economy. Marine debris can damage or disable boats, disrupting trade and putting their passengers at risk.

Marine trash and debris can also have a negative side affect on local tourism if it washes ashore, causing declining visitor numbers and increased cost of maintaining beaches and seaside parks.

Regulatory Requirements

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Coast Guard prohibit companies and individuals from dumping solid waste into the ocean. In addition, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) prohibits companies from discharging containers, chains, equipment, or other materials into the ocean. BSEE requires offshore facilities add durable identification markings on equipment, tools, containers, and other materials that could fall into the ocean. They also require all materials lost by accident be retrieved or cleaned up as soon as it’s safe to do so.

Training Requirements

BSEE requires employees and contractors to complete marine trash and debris training when they arrive on a rig and be retrained annually. This training should have two parts:

1. A training video or slide show on marine trash and debris
2. An explanation from management emphasizing the company’s commitment to preventing and containing marine trash and debris

All training records should be kept for inspection by BSEE. An annual report should be sent to BSEE by January 31, detailing the company’s training program and certifying all workers have been trained.

Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements

Offshore rigs are subject to BSEE reporting and recordkeeping requirements. Drilling facilities must be inspected daily or as often as necessary by personnel on the rig. Any damage or active sources of pollution must be repaired immediately.

If any items are lost overboard from the rig, those items must be recorded on the facility’s daily operation report, reported to BSEE, and recovered as soon as it’s safe to do so. Inspection or repair records must be maintained either on the rig or at a nearby manned facility for two years.

Placards and Signage

All employees, contractors, and visitors need to be aware of the potential for loose items to fall off the rig. BSEE requires placards be posted with information about preventing marine trash and debris. These placards should explain:

• What marine trash and debris is
• The impact it has on the environment
• Instructions on how to secure loose items
• Legal requirements for preventing intentional disposal or accidental loss of materials or debris.

How to Prevent Marine Trash and Debris

Keeping loose items secure is an important part of preventing marine trash and debris. Some of the most common items lost overboard include:

• Hard hats
• Five-gallon containers
• Pallets
• Life jackets
• Hand tools

Smaller items should be stowed indoors in lockers, equipment storage areas, or marked containers when not in use. Heavier objects, such as drums and pipe sections, should be tied down to keep them from coming loose during storms or high winds.

Trash cans and waste disposal containers should be secured so they can’t blow off the rigs themselves. They should be closed or covered when not in use.

Rigs should have emergency plans in place to secure everything in the event of a hurricane or other major storm.

Companies and individual rigs should perform regular hazard assessments to determine if:

• Rig personnel should use additional controls
• New things are on the rig that need to be secured
• Materials have been lost over the side that can be secured differently in the future

Regular pre-job safety meetings and hazard assessments can help address new hazards that workers or supervisors may have found.

We all have a role to play in keeping our oceans clean and healthy, including those in the oil and gas industry. For more information on BSEE’s Marine Trash and Debris program, click here.

Additional Resources

• Marine trash and debris training courses
• Incident reporting technology
• Checklist management