Oil spills occur on an irregular basis, and range in size from small spills associated with in-port shipping activities to large open sea events, associated with oil tanker traffic accidents and ballast water discharges.

The movement of oil by pipeline, and offshore oil and gas exploration, add additional considerations for government, coastal communities, coastal resource users and stakeholders to include in planning for the future.

Effective response to oil spills requires long term planning and preparation. OSM will provide a sustainable program of training and education to support all government agencies, industries, as well as community groups and organizations, and coastal resource users that wish to become more prepared to respond to spills.