U.S. Navy Ship Salvage Manual Volume 6 - Oil Spill Response

S0300-A6-MAN-060direct it to a collection point for disposal. The ESSM system contains two 60- by 40-foot portableboom cleaning pools designed to clean several 55-foot sections of boom simultaneously. Three orFigure 3-9. Cleaning Pool Operations.four sections can be laid out in the pool. The pools are constructed of the same durable materialsas the SUPSALV open ocean boom and have drains for attaching vacuum truck hoses to removeliquids. The pools act as a reservoir for the cleaning solvent, water and oil mixtures that resultfrom the cleaning process. The reservoir sides are formed by chambers inflated with low-pressureair. The pools are portable, take little equipment to erect and can be set up in any location withoutdigging pits or building berms. Figure 3-9 shows a cleaning pool in operation.Cleaning equipment accompanying the portable pools includes high-pressure water and solventsprayers, air compressors, solvent, sorbent pads and rolls, brushes, scrapers, personal protectiveclothing and storage vans.Dracones are difficult to clean in the field because their flexibility makes them hard to handle anddrain. The cleaning liquid must be warm enough to keep the oil and debris fluid, but cool enoughnot to damage the dracone fabric. A marine chemist should be present to test the dracone interiorfor gases that may present personnel and/or fire hazards.High-pressure hot water generators are required for efficient cleaning. Cleaning heavy oil residuesrequire water and solvent mixtures heated above 120°F at pressures of 2,000 to 3,000 psi.Many different types of solvents cut oil efficiently. The ratio of solvent to water is usually very3-32