It is hard to imagine an event so compelling that it could supercede such significant events in America’s psyche like this country’s longest armed conflict, global climate change, the controversy of our health care system overhaul and the potential failure of several European nation’s currency. The growing disaster in the Gulf of Mexico has accomplished that very thing. Already the scene of the worst oil spill in our nation’s history, the Gulf coast region that was so hard hit by Hurricane Katrina is receiving another blow. Let’s hope that someone very smart figures out how to stop the leak real soon so the region and its people, plants and wildlife can begin what appears to be an extremely long road back to “natural”. At “day sixty-something” and counting as I pen these lines, the jury is still out – and the potential verdict is increasingly dire.
The point here is not to bash the oil explorers for the accident. God only knows how that exactly happened and why. We can, though, soundly and repeatedly castigate them for not having a completely coordinated, outfitted, trained and rehearsed contingency plan for precisely the situation they are currently in today. Instead, after two months plus of trying everything from shooting old golf balls into the broken pipe to drilling a relief well of which there is no guarantee that it will work and it “may” take another forty-five days to stop the flow of oil – now estimated to be in the millions of gallons of per day – escaping from the broken pipe. The risk of this happening may have been low. The explosion and resulting leak also may qualify as being the worst case event. Regardless, this is exactly what one prepares for when it comes to spills! Not having a plan two months plus after the accident occurred is beyond belief.
One of the precepts of the continual improvement-based Golf Course Environmental Management (GEM) process is to know the potential ramifications of your actions before you decide to take them. The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 mandates that each proposed action shall be examined for its potential impacts to the environment – whether positive or negative – for the action and its reasonable alternatives. NEPA also requires the proponent to analyze the ramifications if no-action is the resulting decision. Every major federal action is subject to the environmental impact analysis process required by NEPA. Point here is to identify the potential impacts and analyze them – before you act. There is no way it takes over two months to act if you have satisfied this law. Somehow, one has to believe that the permits issued by this country to Gulf of Mexico oil exploration companies made this a condition.
Shifting our gaze from the sheen on the Gulf to the golf course, managers must be prepared for the worst possible spill at their facility. A spill has the potential to impact the air, soil or water on and off the golf course property. Preparation is the key. Asking the simple questions of “What if?” and “If so, then what?” is a good start. A comprehensive approach using the GEM process would be even more appropriate. In summary, the following Best GEM practices covers most situations where spills can occur.
Bottom line with spills – have a plan!
Best GEM Spill Prevention Practices
- Manage all hazardous substances, including chemical wastes and oils in a manner that prevents release;
- Identify where spills could occur and stock appropriate spill kits and train all appropriate employees in their use and disposal;
- Compile site-specific spill plans for each potential spill location that includes escape routes, evacuation plan, reassembly points, who to call, their phone number, location of spill, type and quantity of material spilled, direction of flow and any possible hazards or injuries;
- Provide secondary containment at appropriate potential spill locations;
- Always have Material Safety Data Sheets and appropriate personal protective equipment nearby;
- Properly mark and label all hazardous substance containers and keep them closed when not in use;
- Implement preventative maintenance activities to reduce the potential for release from equipment;
- Keep all work and storage areas clean and in general good condition.
Bill Bushman is the director of Ecodesigns International, a golf course management consulting firm. Contact him at ecodesigns@satx.rr.com.