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6.0 Impact Considerations Version :27.10.4 Elasticity Modifying Agents Elasticity modifiers, vasoelastizers, solidifiers and gelling agents are products which, when mixed with oil, turn the oil into a more coherent mass. They are usually available in liquid or dry granular form, specifically designed to bond with petroleum. Unlike sorbents that physically soak-up liquid, the solidifiers and similar agents bond the liquid into a mass with minimal volume increase, and retain the liquid for easy removal. The effectiveness of these types of products is based on the amount of product and time it takes to "fix" a given volume of oil. Effectiveness is likely to decrease for emulsified, weathered, thick, or heavy oils due to difficulties in mixing. Final products can be solid mat (as with solidifiers), formed usually within one hour after application, but final consistencies may also range down to an incomplete, gel-like substance. Similar to the policies related to sorbent use, the RRT IX and the State of California also have policies that restrict the use of particulate solidifiers; they cannot be used in a loose or broadcast form, but they can be used (and sometime pre-approved for use) if the same material is bound into a boom or other self-contained construction. Surface Washing Agents (SWAs) The principal use of surface washing agents is to lift oil from surfaces (sand, rocks, constructed walls and surfaces) and flush it into areas where it can be more completely recovered. SWAs can be divided into two categories: those that could lift and disperse oil into a nearby water column (typically through surfactants and/or petroleum distillates), and those that lift and float the oil onto the water surface where it can be recovered. Only products that provide lift and float action are licensed for use in California. The actual rate of mobilization of oil from substrates will depend on the type of oil spilled, the state of oil weathering, and the air and water temperature. Surface washing agents can be used alone, applied with mechanical equipment or hand sprayers, with either low- or high- pressure washing equipment, or with ambient or heated water. Properly used, surface washing agents can effectively improve oil spill cleanup. Only two products (CytoSol, Accell Clean SWA) are currently licensed for use in or near California state waters. Both of these are "lift and float" products that are considered non-toxic to workers and environmental resources. Dispersants Dispersants are chemicals that are applied directly to spilled oil. Chemical dispersants assist with breaking up the oil into small particles facilitating the mixing of oil and water to prevent floating oil that may migrate to surface features or affect birds and other wildlife at the water surface. Dispersants could theoretically be approved for use on freshwater lakes and reservoirs, however, there are also no dispersants currently licensed for use in California that are formulated for freshwater use, although if the need arose, a one-time emergency use of a freshwater dispersant that is on the NCP Product Schedule could be approved by the OSPR Administrator and the RRT. Shell Supply and Distribution 6-55 Stockton Terminal FRP ©2019 Witt O' Brien's Revision Date:October, 2019