IncidentNews Home >> Glossary >> C

C

C: Centigrade (Celsius in Europe). Temperature based on 0° C for the temperature at which water freezes and 100° C for the temperature at which water boils. Conversion to Centigrade from the Fahrenheit temperature scale is by the following formula: C = 5/9F - 32, where F is the temperature in Fahrenheit degrees. Contrast with F (Fahrenheit).
CAMEO: A suite of software programs developed by NOAA and EPA. CAMEO supports a number of information management functions, such as retrieval of chemical-specific information to support emergency response activities, threat zone calculation and plotting for risk assessment, organization and management of EPCRA information, and storage and computer display of area maps. Find out more about CAMEO on the NOAA OR&R website (response.restoration.noaa.gov/cameo). See also ALOHA.
Captain of the Port (COTP): The lead federal security officer at U.S. ports.
carcinogen: A chemical substance or agent capable of causing or producing cancer.
CAS number: Or CAS #. Chemical Abstracts Service Registry number. This chemical identification number, in the format XXX-XX-X, is assigned by the American Chemical Society (www.cas.org/EO/regsys.html).
catadromous: Fish that spend at least part of their lives in freshwater but migrate to saltwater to spawn (breed and lay eggs). An example is the American eel. Contrast with anadromous.
catalyst: A substance that speeds up (catalyzes) a chemical reaction between other substances without itself being chemically changed or consumed. Catalysts are widely used in the chemical industry. For example, an iron/aluminum catalyst is used to synthesize ammonia and a platinum catalyst is used to manufacture nitric acid. Contrast with inhibitor.
catalyze: To act as a catalyst.
caustic: Strongly basic, with high pH. Very corrosive. See also base.
CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov). Federal agency that conducts research and provides information about environmental health and other public health threats.
CERCLA: The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (www.epa.gov/superfund/action/law/cercla.htm), as amended by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) in 1986, often referred to as Superfund. The federal statute establishes liability for site cleanup, prescribes a procedure for identifying and ranking contaminated sites, provides a funding mechanism for site cleanups, reduces uncontrolled releases of hazardous substances, establishes cleanup procedures that provide protection for humans and the environment, and restores injured natural resources through provisions administered by the natural resource trustees. See also Superfund.
cetacean: The group of wholly aquatic mammals that includes whales and dolphins.
CG: See U.S. Coast Guard.
chemical agents: Those elements, compounds, or mixtures that disperse, dissolve, emulsify, neutralize, or otherwise mitigate the adverse effects of a pollutant or remove it from the environment. Examples include dispersants, biological additives, burning agents, and sinking agents. Also, a type of weapon of mass destruction.
chemical dispersant: See dispersant.
chronic: Of long duration, or frequently recurring. Chronic health effects become apparent and/or continue for some time after exposure to hazardous chemicals. Contrast with acute.
Clean Water Act (CWA): The law (also called the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972) that established the framework for restoring and maintaining the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of U.S. waters. The CWA generally prohibits discharges of oil and hazardous substances into coastal or ocean waters. The 1973 amendments mandated the development of a National Contingency Plan (NCP).
cleanup: The removal and/or treatment of oil, hazardous substances, and/or the waste or contaminated materials generated by a spill incident. Cleanup includes restoration of the site and its natural resources.
Coastal Protection and Restoration Division (CPRD): See Assessment and Restoration Division (ARD).
collision: A "crash" between two moving objects, such as two vessels. Contrast with allision.
combustible: Can be ignited and burned. Combustible liquids have flash points between 100 - 200° F (37.8 - 93.3° C).
combustion: Also burning. A chemical reaction between oxygen and another element or compound that is rapid and exothermic enough to generate heat and light.
Command Post: See Incident Command Post.
compound: The combination of two or more elements into a distinct chemical material.
concentration: The amount of a chemical present in a given weight or volume of air. Concentration of a gas in air may be expressed in units such as parts per million (by volume) or milligrams per cubic meter.
condensate: Hydrocarbons that are gases under reservoir conditions and that become liquid when temperature or pressure is reduced. A mixture of pentanes and higher hydrocarbons.
containment: The process of preventing the spread of oil beyond the area where it has been spilled in order to minimize pollution and facilitate recovery.
containment barrier: See barrier.
contingency plan: A document used by (1) federal, state, and local agencies to guide their planning and response procedures regarding spills of oil, hazardous substances, or other emergencies; (2) a document used by industry as a response plan to spills of oil, hazardous substances, or other emergencies occurring upon their vessels or at their facilities. A contingency plan usually consists of guidelines developed for a specific industrial facility or an entire region to increase the effectiveness, efficiency and speed of cleanup operations in the event of a chemical or oil spill.
convergence line or zone: A line or area on the water surface where floating material, such as oil, can collect. A convergence can be located at the interface between two different types or bodies of water, or it can be caused by a significant depth change, tidal changes, or other common phenomena. Convergences are common in the marine environment.
corrosive: Liquid or solid that can destroy human skin or lung tissue or corrode metals.
COTP: See Captain of the Port.
countermeasures: Treatments applied to shorelines and waterways (such as manual removal of oil, low- to high-pressure washing, use of dispersants, etc.) intended to contain, clean up, or otherwise reduce the adverse effects of spilled oil on the environment.
coverage: The amount of oil or other pollutant occupying the shore or water surface.
CRC: Coastal Resource Coordinator, now known as a Regional Resource Coordinator (RRC). The point of contact for the efforts of NOAA OR&R's Assessment and Restoration Division (ARD). RRCs are NOAA environmental scientists who assess ecological risk and environmental and economic injury from contamination at hazardous waste sites or spill incidents, and coordinate among trustee agencies.
crude oil: An unrefined petroleum, usually liquid, consisting of a mixture of hydrocarbons. It generally ranges in gravity from 9° API to 55° API and in color from yellow to black. Crude oils may be referred to as heavy, medium, or light, according to API gravity. Crude oil may be refined into any of hundreds of components, such as commercial gasoline, kerosene, heating oils, diesel oils, lubricating oils, waxes, and asphalts.
cryogenic: Very low temperature.

Incidents

Newsfeeds

Learn More

C