CSRO SERVICES            Fast Water Boom Deployment Tool Canada is home to a huge number of river systems. Many of these are widely used as transportation corridors thus have the potential for threat from spills of both fuel and cargoes. Inland water spill responders will acknowledge that deploying boom in river environments is both time consuming and labour intensive and the problems only increase with faster water flows. Several of the CSRO member companies have considerable experience using a boom deployment tool called a BoomVane. First introduced in the late 1990’s it dramatically increases speed of boom deployment while reducing significantly the amount of manpower and boom support equipment required. CSRO member companies have been involved in the use of the BoomVane in the Mackenzie river for the Mackenzie Delta Spill Response Corporation. The BoomVane has been used both to place boom and as a sweep for use with a boat. Our experience has successfully shown the use of the BoomVane is efficient is significantly safer as it reduced the number of workers needed on the usually remote beachs as well as the physical strain on the workers. The following comparison is supplied by one of the CSRO member companies: Conventional River Boom Deployment Versus BoomVane Deployment Based on 4 kph (2.5 mph) river speed with at least 1.1m (3.6’) water depth For water shallower than 1.1m use Shallow Water BoomVane model (0.55m draft) EQUIPMENT Conventional BoomVane Anchor & Chain or Bridge Pier Bridle or Cable, Block & Pulley Line Yes Not Required Mooring Line Yes Yes Paravane Yes Not Required 300' (91.4m) River Boom Yes Yes Sideline Attachment Every 6m (20') - 15 shoreline rope bridles - 15 shoreline ropes - 15 shore anchor pins Yes Yes Yes Not Required Not Required Not Required Boat Yes Not Required ESTIMATED MANPOWER Conventional Deployment based on 4 kph water speed, 2 men on each shoreline rope during 300' boom trimming operations plus 34 men 4 man boad crew BoomVane Deployment based on 2 men on 300' boom assembly and 2 men on BoomVane set-up 4 men ESTIMATED TIME REQUIRED 90 Minutes 30 Minutes POTENTIAL BENEFITS of BoomVane Significantly less manpower required and faster deployment Reduced training time/costs Safer, as no requirement for sideline ropes and boat operations are optional with BoomVane Reduced capital costs for equipment purchase Reduction in equipment storage space requirements Reduction in time to reach deployment site as boom and BoomVane can be transported by a pick-up truck or as helicopter net load Less deployment time thus less downstream contamination, clean-up and remediation costs The BoomVane comes in three sizes. The standard unit with a draft of 1.1m, the shallow water version with a draft of 0.55m and the recently introduced ocean version. Since its introduction the BoomVane’s versatility has been increased by the addition of 2 springs that immobilize its rudder; the only moving part on the device. This now allows responders to”sweep up” oil on the water surface of rivers and lakes using only one boat as opposed to the two boats required using the conventional method. The BoomVane has been used to successfully deploy boom in a river flowing as fast as 8 knots, a deployment that could not be attempted using conventional boom deployment techniques. BoomVane in action in river Canadian Spill Response Organization © 2009 All Rights Reserved