AMOP Technical Seminar on Environmental Contamination and Response
The AMOP Seminar provides a forum for professionals working in the field of oil and hazardous materials spills. The forum is intended to link research and the operational community and facilitates the transfer of scientific results in the areas of preventing, assessing and cleaning up spills of oil and hazardous materials in every environment. It also deals with approaches for remediating and rehabilitating sites contaminated by spills.
The 46th AMOP Technical Seminar is being planned for the future.
About the AMOP Technical Seminar
The AMOP Technical Seminar on Environmental Contamination and Response is an international forum for sharing research and best practices on responding to oil and chemical spills.
History
The first AMOP Technical Seminar took place in March 1978 in Edmonton, Alberta. It was created after the Government of Canada launched the Arctic and Marine Oil Spill Program (AMOP) in 1977. The seminar gave oil spill responders and researchers a chance to:
- present study results
- review current research
- share ideas for new research and development
The focus was to improve knowledge and technology for cleaning up oil spills in Arctic and marine environments.
Over time, the seminar expanded to include all types of spills in any environment. It now covers a wide range of topics related to environmental contamination and spill response.
Merging of related seminars
In response to growing needs in the field, additional seminars were introduced and later merged:
- 1983: The Technical Seminar on Chemical Spills (TSOCS) began and ran concurrently AMOP
- 1999: A seminar on Phytoremediation and Biotechnology Solutions for Spills was introduced
- This evolved into BIOSOLR3: Biological Solutions for Site Remediation, Restoration and Rehabilitation
- 2008: All three seminars were combined under the name AMOP Technical Seminar on Environmental Contamination and Response
Despite the broader scope, the seminar continues to be widely known as AMOP.
Focus and content
AMOP now covers spills involving oil and hazardous materials in all environments. An expert committee oversees the seminar’s direction and peer review process to maintain its scientific quality.
Topics related to oil and other petroleum products
Physical and chemical properties and behaviour
- Identification and forensics
- Emulsification and dispersion
- Analytical techniques and instrumentation
Response technologies and countermeasures
- Treating agents
- In-situ burning
- Containment and recovery
Remediation, restoration, and rehabilitation
- Bioremediation
- Phytoremediation
- Mechanical and chemical processing
- Site recovery
- Decontamination
Fate and effects
- Toxicity
Detection, tracking, and remote sensing
Modelling
Contingency planning, preparation, and prevention
- Health and safety
- Regional response planning (RRP)
- Risk assessment
Shoreline response
- Protection
- Treatment options
- Decisions/plans
Case histories and recent spill experiences
Oil impacts on wildlife
- Prevention, preparedness, and emergency response (including case studies and lessons learned)
- Treatment and associated outcomes of oiled wildlife
- Impact assessment
- Toxicity and other effects (sensitivity analyses, fate and effects, pathophysiological
- Risk of exposure analyses (spatial and temporal overlap, stochastic modelling)
- Marine population monitoring (vital rates, recovery)
Topics related to chemicals and hazardous materials
Physical and chemical properties and behaviour
- Identification
- Analytical techniques and instrumentation
- Profiles
- Transportation
Response technologies and countermeasures
- Neutralizers
- Containment products
Remediation, restoration, and rehabilitation
- Bioremediation
- Phytoremediation
- Chemical and physical treatment
- Site recovery
- Decontamination
Fate and effects
- Toxicity
- Wildlife
Contingency planning, preparation, and prevention
- Health and safety
Chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) response
- Activity updates
- Field trials/exercises
- Contingency plans
Case histories and recent spill experiences
Proceedings and publications
The AMOP seminar proceedings include a wide range of papers on environmental spill topics. Participants receive a downloadable bibliography of all papers from 1978 to 2023.
You can request individual papers by:
- contacting the author(s) directly
- sending a written request to the Emergencies Science and Technology Section (ESTS)
- emailing ECCC Library Services at bibliotheque-library@ec.gc.ca
- searching the Federal Science Library catalogue
- contacting the author(s) directly
- sending a written request to the Emergencies Science and Technology Section (ESTS)
- emailing ECCC Library Services at bibliotheque-library@ec.gc.ca
- searching the Federal Science Library catalogue
Contact us
Emergencies Science and Technology Section
Environment and Climate Change Canada
335 River Road
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
K1A 0H3
Telephone: (613) 998-9622
Email: SpillSeminars@ec.gc.ca