DEEPWATER HORIZON FERN IN ACTION A State’s Perspective Marion Aller, DVM, DABT Director, Division of Food Safety Florida Department of Ag. & Cons. Services

DAY 1 Tues April 20 (10pm) Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MOBU) Deepwater Horizon Explodes. 126 in crew, 11 missing. Early reports – blowout due to oil and methane erupting thru pipe connecting the DWH to the wellhead 5000’ below. Oil leakage????

Days 2 - 8 4/22 DWH sinks, taking the damaged riser with it. 4/24 Oil leakage estimated at 1000 barrels/day (42K gallons) 4/28 NOAA estimates oil leakage at 5000 barrels/day. BP estimates 60-90 days to drill permanent relief well. Everybody watching, assessment mode.

Days 9 - 10 4/29 President declares incident a “Spill of National Significance” LA issues emergency declaration – MS, AL, FL follow suit next day 4/30 FL activates EOC FDACS assesses capabilities 4/30 – Lab is asked what it is currently able to do – some prior experience w/ sensory (small fuel spill), tentatively identifies NOAA method as most appropriate. However, new chemistry, no experience, incomplete inventory of needed equipment

Days 11 - 13 5/1 USCG Adm. Thad Allen appointed Incident Commander 5/2 NOAA closes federal waters BP begins underwater use of dispersants to mitigate oil reaching surface FL continues “watchful waiting”

Days 16 – 24 0 5/2 NOAA Closes waters 5/6 FDA identifies “NOAA” method 5/7 FDA Mobile Lab plans move to TLH 5/12 FERN activated 5/13 FDA Mobile Lab arrives 5/14 8 FERN Labs identified to run NOAA method 1st Draft Reopening Protocol Mobile lab not equipped to run NOAA method – works instead on e-Nose FDA NOAA labs (AK, ATL, Denv, KC) State: FL, UCDavis, AZ, Wiscon REOPENING PROTOCOL - underwent great deal of discussion re: derivation of appropriate levels of concern

Days 30 -39 5/20 BP pulling 5K barrels from insertion tube – concedes underestimate of total leakage 5/21 FERN notifies labs FDA will purchase needed equipment (d 9) 5/25 “Top kill” procedure starts 529 “Top Kill” halted Underwater camera installed – leakage estimates increase to 12 – 19K barrels/day

Days 42 - 51 6/2-3 Oil washes up on Dauphin Island Cap installed on riser oil flow 1st piece equipment arrives (d 21,12) Equipment arrives, but w/o installation

6/6-8. BP manipulates vents, increases. capture rate to 10k, then 14 6/6-8 BP manipulates vents, increases capture rate to 10k, then 14.8K barrels/d 6/10 Oil arrives Perdido Pass (AL-FL border. 2nd piece equipment arrives (d 29, 20)

Days 57 - 59 6/18 Florida FWCC closes 200 square miles of state gulf (not inland) waters from Al-FL state line to west of Pensacola Bay. Number of Labs – Alternate methods Number samples/week/lab - For the next 2-4 weeks lab capacity will drive a number of discussions. Announcements being made to Health Officers, raising expectations that my lab is saying it cannot meet – doubtful other labs will…. APHL, AOAC begin to explore setting up groups to identify alternative methods. FDA doing same.

Days 62 - 79 6/21 Last item arrives – method validation begins in earnest (d 31) 7/8 FL begins consideration to reopen closed waters At this point, concerns rise regarding what lab will run samples, when. Capacity issues unresolved…. Monitoring plans discussed

Days 83 - 102 7/12 Lab reports difficulty w/ background PAH interference. Visit sister lab. 7/15 Valves on capping stack closed at 2:26 pm CDT. Oil stops flowing. 7/26-9 Method validation, LODs complete (d 75-78, 66-9) I m after equipment 7/31 FL reopens harvest to fish Lab loses power

Days 105 -122 8/3 Samples arrive in lab 8/19 Receive alternative method 8/20 Report first samples (17 days after receipt -

Where do we go from here??? Triggers to activate FERN “Matching” labs to methods, surge capacity Equipment purchases Identification: methods, LODs Reporting results Mechanism for alternative methods

Where do we go from here?? Messaging/managing expectations (what a lab can do, what it can’t) Coordinating information sharing among chemists, toxicologist, public health officials, regulators, affected communities (industry, consumers, buyers)

September 3, 2010