API 4684 : 1999

Table of Contents

Executive Summary
1. Purpose of the Study
2. In Situ Burn Case Histories
     Introduction
     Methods
     Summary of Case Studies
3. In Situ Burning Observations and Lessons Learned
     Reasons for Burning
     Conditions for Burning
     Public Health and Safety Issues
     Pre-Burn Considerations
     Post-Burn Considerations
4. Summaries of Fire Ecology and Prescribed Burning
     Introduction
     Methods
     General Points on Fire Ecology and Prescribed Burning
5. Fire Ecology and Effects Summaries for Individual Plant Species
     Summaries for Major Plant Species of U.S. Ecoregions
     Fire Effects Summaries for Wetland Grasses and Sedges
6. Conclusions on the Environmental Effects of In Situ Burning
     References
     List of Contacts
     Incident Summary Sheets
     In Situ Burn Observation Check
List of Figures
2-1. Types of Environment Where In Situ Burning of Spilled Oil Was
     Conducted: Includes Spills Where Multiple Environments Were Burned
2-2. Range of Volume of Oil Burned, for the 18 Cases Where the Volume
     Burned Was Known
2-3. Types of Oil Burned for the 31 Cases Included in This Analysis
4-1. Ecoregion Provinces for the Conterminous United States
List of Tables
2-1. Summary list of in situ burn cases included in this report
4-1. Major plant species by ecoregion, cross-referenced by community type
5-1. Fire ecology and effects summaries for major plant species by U.S.
     ecoregions
5-2. Fire ecology and effects summaries for selected wetland grasses and
     sedges of North America (including Alaska)

Abstract

Objective of this study was to identify those environmental conditions under which burning should be considered as a response option for oil spilled in inland and upland habitats. Two different approaches were used: firstly, the 'state of the practice' for spills where burning was used was documented; secondly, extracting guidelines from the extensive literature on fire ecology and prescribed burning of vegetation were examined. Both these approaches provide the best information on when burning should and should not be considered for a specific spill in inland and upland areas.

General Product Information

Published
Document Type	Standard
Status	Current
Publisher	American Petroleum Institute
Pages
ISBN