This committee was formed in summer 2017 and the project scope is:
This study will assess the effects and efficacy of dispersants as an oil spill response tool through review and evaluation of domestic and international research reports and results, including both laboratory and field studies. The study will evaluate trade-offs associated with dispersant use, in part through use or review of net environmental benefit analyses conducted for past oil spills. This evaluation will include comparison of chemically dispersed oil with the fate and effects of untreated oil. As part of this study, the committee will review research on the use of dispersants during actual spills, both for surface and subsurface applications (e.g., the 2009 Montara oil spill off the Australian coast and the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico) to assess the net benefit of dispersant use in these cases
For more information and a list of all the committee members, visit the project website at: https://www8.nationalacademies.org/pa/projectview.aspx?key=dels-osb-16-01
UPDATE: The Use of Dispersants in Marine Oil Spill Response (2019)