Marine Pollution Response

Ceres and Oil Spill Response

Since 1992, Ceres Environmental Services has positioned itself as a leader in disaster response for the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. In response to the Deepwater Horizon event Ceres will continue to perform with the same high standard that is expected by government and civilian customers alike.

Building on our proven record in disaster response, project management, deployment and hazardous waste experience, Ceres is rapidly expanding our capability to respond to the oil spill in the Gulf.
One of the key elements of the buildup at Ceres is the addition of Randall Farmer, Commander, USCG (ret.) to its Marine Pollution Response Team. Commander Farmer brings a wealth of experience in coastal spill response, inspection, regulatory compliance and contingency planning to Ceres.

Since the spill began, Ceres has been continually monitoring the situation. This includes confirming best practices in remediation of beaches, containment and collection of near shore oil and a review of safety standards pertaining to marine activity. Ceres has also been active in studying problems uncovered in the response already underway, as well as design and manufacture of specialized equipment to resolve those issues.

Randall D. Farmer, Project Manager

MANAGEMENT SUMMARY

Mr. Farmer brings his twenty-five year experience as a retired Coast Guard Commander to Ceres. He is a skilled negotiator working with US and foreign government entities insuring consistent application and compelling compliance with US and international marine safety and environmental regulations. He has experience developing maritime security and contingency plans and was Chief of Operations for the Morris J. Berman oil spill in Puerto Rico, in 1994. He was responsible for logistics; forecasted materials, personnel and communications. He also supervised the timely removal of oil from beaches, transportation and disposal of recovered materials, and restoration of highly utilized economic resource for the Territory of Puerto Rico. Mr. Farmer holds a MPA in Justice Administration from Troy State University and a B.A. from Saint Leo University.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE.

  • Chief, Inspection and Investigations, Fourteenth Coast Guard District, 2005 to 2009, Oversight of CG activities in driving process improvements throughout the Port of Honolulu, Guam, American Samoa, and CNMI. Direct strategic planning, tactical execution and support of Coast Guard Marine Safety regulatory and policy programs in Asia-Pacific Region, spanning 21 major maritime nations and over 50% of the worlds shipping. Manage District 14’s Vessel Inspection program, the Regional Examination Center’s licensing program, the Marine Investigation program, the Recreational Boating Safety and the Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety programs. Responsible for a broad range of domestic and foreign vessel safety and security Maritime Transportation Security Act and the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code issues. Responsible for all of District 14’s Marine Safety program oversight for the Environmental Protection program and am responsible for all support for the Coast Guard Stations on Oahu, Maui and Kauai. Manage project resources, timeline, and budget while exceeding operational performance targets. Analyze operational process and align activities to organizational goals.
  • Chief, Waterways Management, Sector Honolulu, 2001 to 2005, Tasked with and successfully integrated five culturally and organizationally diverse divisions to develop and deploy “performance excellence” during the CG’s reorganization in the Port of Honolulu. Successfully aligned Harbor planning and financial processes with performance improvement and business risk-management activities. Established Security and Safety zones in Port of Honolulu. Zones included no discharge areas and no entry areas for all vessels. Represented USCG on high level discussions for cruise ship waste water discharge and air quality emissions. Took congressional reps on tours of vessel engine rooms to clarify systems.
  • Chief, Exercise Development, National Strike Force Coordination Center, 1997 to 2001, Directed three National Preparedness for Response Exercise (NPREP) measurement teams dedicated to the improvement of the NPREP exercise program for high risk ports throughout the United States. Measurement focused on delivering value to exercises with emphasis on port operations, change management, quality, process, teamwork, and industry leadership. Directed development and implementation of operations improvements and change-management strategy for a Spill of National Significance exercise, resulting in a significant reduction in cost and development time.

CERTIFICATIONS/TRAINING

  • Senior Marine Engineering Inspector, Steam, Diesel and Gas Turbine.
  • Senior Inspector, Investigator, Port Operations, Steam and Diesel Automation schools
  • American Bureau of Shipping Welding Inspector School
  • First Responder Operational, Hazardous Materials and Marine Oil Spills.
  • Hazardous Materials On-Scene Commander.
  • Coordinated and instructed training programs, supervised instructors and performed course curriculum developed for Coast Guard wide implementation of the National Interagency Incident Management System (NIIMS) Incident Management System. Certified to NIIMS ICS I-400.

Subcontractor Opportunities

Subcontractor Signup – Join Ceres Environmental’s Marine Pollution Response Team.