CSA International, Inc. Introduces Emergency Environmental Response Program

Posted in 2011

CSA International, Inc. (CSA) is pleased to announce that it has founded the STEP Program (Scientific Tools & Equipment Pool).  The STEP Program is equipped and staffed to immediately respond to a wide range of emergencies in the Gulf of Mexico and around the world.  Meeting or exceeding the highest in HSSE requirements, STEP personnel are trained in proper Chain-of-Custody and other Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) methodologies.

 Included in an annual membership fee, STEP members would have immediate access to specialized scientific equipment and trained staff, ready to mobilize on a vessel of opportunity.  A member that draws on the STEP inventory and services would pay pre?established rates for equipment and personnel on an as-used basis.  Access to the STEP Program eliminates the need to ramp up equipment and services in an emergency situation and the purchase of response-specific equipment that may not be used again.  Additionally, STEP members will be able to demonstrate to regulatory agencies and other stakeholders their readiness to respond to the environmental aspect of an emergency situation.

CSA International, Inc. Wins APA Award for PDRP Project

Posted in 2011

CSA International. Inc. (CSA) is proud to announce that a post-disaster redevelopment planning project conducted by its Planning division has been awarded an Award of Merit by the Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA) during the recent APA Florida 2011 Conference held in Palm Beach, Florida on 8 September 2011.  “Post-Disaster Redevelopment Planning: A Guide for Florida Communities” is the latest guidebook in the Florida Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and Division of Emergency Management’s (DEM’s) Best Practice Series.  It is also the culmination of the Statewide Post-Disaster Redevelopment Planning Initiative.  This project, guided by a statewide group of experts on planning and long-term recovery and implemented by CSA staff, also included extensive research on disaster recovery to develop preliminary guidelines for local planning processes that were tested through a series of pilot projects.  The result is the first statewide effort of its kind to encourage pre-event planning for long-term post-disaster recovery in the nation.

 For more information on the project, visit the project website at www.pdrp.org or the CSA Planning website at www.csa-planning.com.

CSA International, Inc. First to Use Calibration-free Acoustic Positioning System

Posted in 2011

CSA International, Inc. (CSA) was recently the first organization in the world to purchase a new, “calibration-free” acoustic positioning system launched by Sonardyne International Ltd.  The GyroUSBL integrates Sonardyne’s Lodestar Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS) and sixth generation (6G®) Ultra-Short BaseLine (USBL) transceiver into a single unit and has already proven to offer significant operational benefits during a deepwater ROV survey carried out this summer in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Lodestar GyroUSBL was supplied to CSA as part of a Sonardyne Ranger 2 positioning system and was installed on an over-the-side deployment pole fitted to the offshore supply vessel HOS SWEETWATER.  During the survey, the LodestarGyroUSBL was put to the test tracking an ROV as it descended to 1,478 m.

CSA Operations Supervisor, Mr. Eddie Walsh, said, “The performance of the entire Ranger 2 system was very impressive.  In addition to the pre?calibrated Lodestar GyroUSBL, we were able to track the ROV at a 1Hz update while simultaneously tracking three individual transponders using different tracking scenarios.”  He added, “In the future, when we install the system on a different vessel, we can begin work with minimal vessel delays.”

CSA International, Inc. Adds Metocean Business Line

Posted in 2011

CSA International, Inc. (CSA), a marine environmental consulting firm based out of Stuart, Florida, is pleased to announce that it has recently expanded its marine services to include a Meteorological and Oceanographic (Metocean) Business Line.  CSA has extensive experience in planning, implementing, and conducting large technical marine surveys, including oceanographic programs through its Marine Services Business Line.

 Recognizing the emerging technologies in engineering, deeper offshore exploration and production, environmental concerns, and the subsequent demand for accurate real?time metocean data, CSA has formed a new Metocean Business Line in order to focus and expand its capabilities in this area, providing commercial and technical expertise for metocean projects around the world.  This will include metocean consultancy and the collection of high-quality metocean data to assist engineering, design, daily marine operations, planning, and management for offshore exploration, field development, ports and harbors, and cable and pipeline routes.

 CSA Metocean services include the following:

 Metocean consultancy (expert technical and project management advice on measurement campaigns).

• Metocean moorings (turn-key project execution of nearshore and deepwater mooring programs).
• Buoy based systems (buoy-based meteorological, wave, and current data in real?time, including the provision of full water depth current profiles in ultra deep water).
• Real-time data (real-time graphical displays of metocean data to assist with daily planning).
• Data management (secure storage of processed and raw data sets).

 For more information on this business line and CSA services and capabilities, contact Mr. Andy Brown, the newly named Metocean Business Line Manager, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .