SMART provides three levels (tiers) for monitoring the efficacy of dispersant applications. Tier I monitoring employs the simplest operation: visual observation. In Tier I monitoring, a trained observer flies over the oil slick and, using NOAA's Job Aids or advanced remote-sensing instruments, assesses the efficacy of the dispersant based on his or her visual observation. The observer then reports the observations to the Unified Command.
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The photo at left shows an observer's view of a dispersant application during the Exxon Valdez spill in March, 1989. |
Revised: July 17, 2001
Office of Response and Restoration, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration