Peat shorelines protection, cleanup and disposal guidelines

Peat shorelines are common along the margins of the Arctic Ocean and form ca 70% of the Beaufort Sea coast of Alaska. They consist of peat-covered beaches, beaches with peat slurries immediately offshore, peat islands and spits, tundra scarps, and low-lying peat shores. Guidelines have recently been developed for spill responses in this type of coastal environment. Few conventional shoreline cleanup techniques apply to peat shorelines, so that protection (containment and exclusion booming) before stranding assumes a high priority. Vacuum systems, rope-mop skimmers, sorbents (including peat itself), and manual removal can be considered for shoreline cleanup. Many peat shorelines are in an erosional state, so that natural cleaning is a viable option in many instances. Cleanup operations on peat shorelines may generate large volumes of material for disposal, and in most instances combustion or incineration would be the preferred disposal method. 12 refs., 2 figs., 4 tabs