Download or read book Responding to Oil Spills in the U S Arctic Marine Environment written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2014-08-01 with total page 343 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: U.S. Arctic waters north of the Bering Strait and west of the Canadian border encompass a vast area that is usually ice covered for much of the year, but is increasingly experiencing longer periods and larger areas of open water due to climate change. Sparsely inhabited with a wide variety of ecosystems found nowhere else, this region is vulnerable to damage from human activities. As oil and gas, shipping, and tourism activities increase, the possibilities of an oil spill also increase. How can we best prepare to respond to such an event in this challenging environment? Responding to Oil Spills in the U.S. Arctic Marine Environment reviews the current state of the science regarding oil spill response and environmental assessment in the Arctic region north of the Bering Strait, with emphasis on the potential impacts in U.S. waters. This report describes the unique ecosystems and environment of the Arctic and makes recommendations to provide an effective response effort in these challenging conditions. According to Responding to Oil Spills in the U.S. Arctic Marine Environment, a full range of proven oil spill response technologies is needed in order to minimize the impacts on people and sensitive ecosystems. This report identifies key oil spill research priorities, critical data and monitoring needs, mitigation strategies, and important operational and logistical issues. The Arctic acts as an integrating, regulating, and mediating component of the physical, atmospheric and cryospheric systems that govern life on Earth. Not only does the Arctic serve as regulator of many of the Earth's large-scale systems and processes, but it is also an area where choices made have substantial impact on life and choices everywhere on planet Earth. This report's recommendations will assist environmentalists, industry, state and local policymakers, and anyone interested in the future of this special region to preserve and protect it from damaging oil spills.

Download or read book Three Recent Oil Spills written by United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Environment and Public Works. Subcommittee on Environmental Protection and published by . This book was released on 1989 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Oil in the Sea III written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2003-03-14 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since the early 1970s, experts have recognized that petroleum pollutants were being discharged in marine waters worldwide, from oil spills, vessel operations, and land-based sources. Public attention to oil spills has forced improvements. Still, a considerable amount of oil is discharged yearly into sensitive coastal environments. Oil in the Sea provides the best available estimate of oil pollutant discharge into marine waters, including an evaluation of the methods for assessing petroleum load and a discussion about the concerns these loads represent. Featuring close-up looks at the Exxon Valdez spill and other notable events, the book identifies important research questions and makes recommendations for better analysis ofâ€"and more effective measures againstâ€"pollutant discharge. The book discusses: Inputâ€"where the discharges come from, including the role of two-stroke engines used on recreational craft. Behavior or fateâ€"how oil is affected by processes such as evaporation as it moves through the marine environment. Effectsâ€"what we know about the effects of petroleum hydrocarbons on marine organisms and ecosystems. Providing a needed update on a problem of international importance, this book will be of interest to energy policy makers, industry officials and managers, engineers and researchers, and advocates for the marine environment.

Download or read book Oil Spills and Gas Leaks Environmental Response Prevention and Cost Recovery written by Stephen M. Testa and published by McGraw Hill Professional. This book was released on 2013-02-01 with total page 593 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The definitive guide to petroleum hydrocarbon fuel spill and leak causes, prevention, response, and cost recovery Oil Spills and Gas Leaks highlights the complex nature of petroleum hydrocarbon fuel extraction methods, the unintended consequences when disasters occur, spill behavior, and environmental impact mitigation. This practical resource discusses engineering techniques; long-term biological and environmental effects; dealing with insurance claims, litigation, and legislation in overlapping jurisdictions; and much more. Featuring global case studies and best practices, this timely volume provides an in-depth understanding of how oil spills and gas leaks occur and describes the most effective environmental assessment, remediation, and restoration options available to respond to these industrial accidents. Coverage includes: The role of petroleum hydrocarbon fuels in society Geology and geochemistry of oil and gas deposits Oil and gas well drilling and production issues Hydraulic fracturing for shale gas and oil Behavior of oil spills in various environments Behavior of gas leaks in various environments Assessment of spills and leaks Toxicity issues and exposure pathways Subsurface investigations Sampling strategies and remedial approaches Sampling methods on land and offshore Prevention, oversight, and mitigation Remediation of oil spills Case histories and cost recovery Oil spills and wildlife Oil spills and safety issues Conclusions and recommendations

Download or read book Handbook of Oil Spill Science and Technology written by Merv Fingas and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2015-02-02 with total page 641 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Provides a scientific basis for the cleanup and for the assessment of oil spills Enables Non-scientific officers to understand the science they use on a daily basis Multi-disciplinary approach covering fields as diverse as biology, microbiology, chemistry, physics, oceanography and toxicology Covers the science of oil spills from risk analysis to cleanup and through the effects on the environment Includes case studies examining and analyzing spills, such as Tasman Spirit oil spill on the Karachi Coast, and provides lessons to prevent these in the future

Download or read book An Ecosystem Services Approach to Assessing the Impacts of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2013-12-20 with total page 247 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the Gulf of Mexico recovers from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, natural resource managers face the challenge of understanding the impacts of the spill and setting priorities for restoration work. The full value of losses resulting from the spill cannot be captured, however, without consideration of changes in ecosystem services-the benefits delivered to society through natural processes. An Ecosystem Services Approach to Assessing the Impacts of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico discusses the benefits and challenges associated with using an ecosystem services approach to damage assessment, describing potential impacts of response technologies, exploring the role of resilience, and offering suggestions for areas of future research. This report illustrates how this approach might be applied to coastal wetlands, fisheries, marine mammals, and the deep sea-each of which provide key ecosystem services in the Gulf-and identifies substantial differences among these case studies. The report also discusses the suite of technologies used in the spill response, including burning, skimming, and chemical dispersants, and their possible long-term impacts on ecosystem services.

Download or read book Deep Oil Spills written by Steven A. Murawski and published by Springer. This book was released on 2019-06-29 with total page 611 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The demand for oil and gas has brought exploration and production to unprecedented depths of the world’s oceans. Currently, over 50% of the oil from the Gulf of Mexico now comes from waters in excess of 1,500 meters (one mile) deep, where no oil was produced just 20 years ago. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill blowout did much to change the perception of oil spills as coming just from tanker accidents, train derailments, and pipeline ruptures. In fact, beginning with the Ixtoc 1 spill off Campeche, Mexico in 1979-1980, there have been a series of large spill events originating at the sea bottom and creating a myriad of new environmental and well control challenges. This volume explores the physics, chemistry, sub-surface oil deposition and environmental impacts of deep oil spills. Key lessons learned from the responses to previous deep spills, as well as unresolved scientific questions for additional research are highlighted, all of which are appropriate for governmental regulators, politicians, industry decision-makers, first responders, researchers and students wanting an incisive overview of issues surrounding deep-water oil and gas production.

Download or read book Understanding Oil Spills and Oil Spill Response written by and published by . This book was released on 1993 with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Oil Spill Dispersants written by Committee on Understanding Oil Spill Dispersants: Efficacy and Effects and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 408 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Approximately 3 million gallons of oil or refined petroleum products are spilled into U.S. waters every year. Oil dispersants (chemical agents such as surfactants, solvents, and other compounds) are used to reduce the effect of oil spills by changing the chemical and physical properties of the oil. By enhancing the amount of oil that physically mixes into the water, dispersants can reduce the potential that a surface slick will contaminate shoreline habitats. Although called for in the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 as a tool for minimizing the impact of oil spills, the use of chemical dispersants has long been controversial. This book reviews the adequacy of existing information and ongoing research regarding the effectiveness of dispersants as an oil spill response technique, as well as the effect of dispersed oil on marine and coastal ecosystems. Oil Spill Dispersants also includes recommended steps for policy makers faced with making hard choices regarding the use of dispersants as part of spill contingency planning efforts or during actual spills.

Download or read book Assessing the Effects of the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill on Human Health written by Institute of Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2010-09-01 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the origin of the leak, to the amount of oil released into the environment, to the spill's duration, the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill poses unique challenges to human health. The risks associated with extensive, prolonged use of dispersants, with oil fumes, and with particulate matter from controlled burns are also uncertain. There have been concerns about the extent to which hazards, such as physical and chemical exposures and social and economic disruptions, will impact the overall health of people who live and work near the area of the oil spill. Although studies of previous oil spills provide some basis for identifying and mitigating the human health effects of these exposures, the existing data are insufficient to fully understand and predict the overall impact of hazards from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the health of workers, volunteers, residents, visitors, and special populations. Assessing the Effects of the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill on Human Health identifies populations at increased risks for adverse health effects and explores effective communication strategies to convey health information to these at-risk populations. The book also discusses the need for appropriate surveillance systems to monitor the spill's potential short- and long-term health effects on affected communities and individuals. Assessing the Effects of the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill on Human Health is a useful resource that can help policy makers, public health officials, academics, community advocates, scientists, and members of the public collaborate to create a monitoring and surveillance system that results in "actionable" information and that identifies emerging health risks in specific populations.

Download or read book Three Recent Oil Spills written by United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Environment and Public Works. Subcommittee on Environmental Protection and published by . This book was released on 1989 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Oil Pollution and its Environmental Impact in the Arabian Gulf Region written by M. Al-Azab and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2005-11-11 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Situated within the richest oil area in the world, the Arabian Gulf represents a stressed ecosystem with scarce published data and environmental studies. The oil-related activities cause significant damages to different ecosystem components such as coral reefs, algal mats, mangrove and other habitats. In addition to the increasing potential of pollution and its adverse effect on the ecosystem, oil spills and relevant implications can severely affect the main source of desalinated water for the Gulf countries due to their limited water resources. Interest in pollution issues associated with Arabian Gulf has been growing in the last few years. These issues include identification and documentation of the major sources of oil pollution in the Gulf region, evaluation of the analytical methods used to identify the different types of pollutants, review of the recent advances in oil pollution impact treatment and prevention, develop stronger cooperation ties between interested members of the community, and encourage awareness of the oil pollution as a serious environmental problem in the region. This book compiles recent studies addressing the above issues grouped in four categories; monitoring and characterizing oil spills, modeling the fate of pollutants and oil slicks in marine water, environmental effects of oil pollution on the ecosystem components, and combating, prevention and treatment of oil pollution.* Studies oil pollution issues in association with the Arabian Gulf* Compiles recent case studies conducted in the Arabian Gulf* Addresses diverse topics related to pollution issues in the marine water in general and in the Arabian Gulf in particular

Download or read book Oil Spill Science and Technology written by Mervin Fingas and published by Gulf Professional Publishing. This book was released on 2016-11-23 with total page 1080 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Oil Spill Science and Technology, Second Edition, delivers a multi-contributed view on the entire chain of oil-spill related topics from oil properties and behaviors, to remote sensing through the management side of contingency planning and communicating oil spill risk perceptions. Completely new case studies are included with special attention to the Deepwater Horizon event, covering the impacts of wetlands and sand beaches, a mass balance approach, and the process for removing petroleum chemicals still trapped near Alabama beaches. Other new information on lingering oil left behind from the Exxon Valdez spill, the emergency system used in the Prestige incident, and coverage on the Heibei Spirit spill in Korea are also included. This updated edition combines technology with case studies to identify the current state of knowledge surrounding oil spills that will encourage additional areas of research that are left to uncover in this critical sector of the oil and gas industry. - Updated with new chapters on risk analysis and communication, contingency planning, restoration, and case studies - Supported with technological advances evolved from the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil tragedy and events in the Arctic/Antarctic - Multi-contributed from various industry experts to provide an extensive background in technical equipment and worldwide procedures used today

Download or read book Maritime Transportation written by Susan A. Fleming and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When oil spills occur in U.S. waters, federal law places primary liability on the vessel owner or operator--that is, the responsible party--up to a statutory limit. As a supplement to this "polluter pays" approach, a federal Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund administered by the Coast Guard pays for costs when a responsible party does not or cannot pay. This testimony is based on GAO's September 2007 report on oil spill costs and select program updates on the recent San Francisco spill. Specifically, it answers three questions: (1) How many major spills (i.e., at least $1 million) have occurred since 1990, and what is their total cost? (2) What factors affect the cost of spills? and (3) What are the implications of major oil spills for the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund? On the basis of cost information collected from a variety of sources, GAO estimates that 51 spills with costs of at least $1 million have occurred from 1990 to 2006 and that responsible parties and the federal Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (Fund) have spent between $860 million and $1.1 billion for oil spill removal costs and compensation for damages (e.g., lost profits and natural resource damages). Since removal costs and damage claims may stretch out over many years, the costs of the spills could rise. The 51 spills varied greatly from year to year in number and cost. All vessel types were involved with the 51 major spills GAO identified, with cargo/freight vessels and tank barges involved with 30 of the 51 spills. According to industry and agency officials, three main factors affect the cost of spills: a spill's location, the time of year, and the type of oil spilled. Spills that occur in remote areas, for example, can increase costs involved in mobilizing responders and equipment. Similarly, a spill occurring during tourist or fishing season might produce substantial compensation claims, while a spill occurring during another time of year may not be as costly. The type of oil affects costs in various ways: fuels like gasoline or diesel fuel may dissipate quickly but are extremely toxic to fish and plants, while crude oil is less toxic but harder to clean up. The total costs of the recent San Francisco oil spill are unknown, but these identified factors are likely to influence the costs. To date, the Fund has been able to cover costs from major spills that responsible parties have not paid, but risks remain. Specifically, GAO's analysis shows that the new 2006 limits of liability for tank barges remain low relative to the average cost of such spills. Since 1990, the Oil Pollution Act (OPA) required that liability limits be adjusted above the limits set forth in statute for significant increases in inflation, but such changes have never been made. Not making such adjustments between 1990 and 2006 potentially shifted an estimated $39 million in costs from responsible parties to the Fund

Download or read book Oil Spill Environmental Forensics written by Zhendi Wang and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2010-07-26 with total page 617 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Oil Spill Environmental Forensics provides a complete view of the various forensic techniques used to identify the source of an oil spill into the environment. The forensic procedures described within represent various methods from scientists throughout the world. The authors explore which analytical and interpretative techniques are best suited for a particular oil spill project. This handy reference also explores the use of these techniques in actual environmental oil spills. Famous incidents discussed include the Exxon Valdez incident in 1989 and the Guanabara Bay, Brazil 2000. The authors chronicle both the successes and failures of the techniques used for each of these events. Dr. Zhendi Wang is a senior research scientist and Head of Oil Spill Research of Environment Canada, working in the oil and toxic chemical spill research field. He has authored over 270 academic publications and won a number of national and international scientific honors and awards. Dr. Wang is a member of American Chemical Society (ACS), the Canadian Society for Chemistry (CSC), and the International Society of Environmental Forensics (ISEF). - International experts show readers the forensic techniques used in oil spill investigations - Provides the theoretical basis and practical applications for investigative techniques - Contains numerous case studies demonstrating proven technique

Download or read book The Dilbit Disaster written by Elizabeth McGowan and published by . This book was released on 2016-10-19 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: InsideClimate News won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize in national reporting for this four-part narrative and six follow-up reports into an oil spill most Americans have never heard of. More than 1 million gallons of oil spilled into the Kalamazoo River in July 2010, triggering the most expensive cleanup in U.S. history -- more than 3/4 of a billion dollars -- and after almost two years the cleanup still isn't finished. Why not? Because the underground pipeline that ruptured was carrying diluted bitumen, or dilbit, the dirtiest, stickiest oil used today. It's the same kind of oil that the controversial Keystone XL pipeline could someday carry across the nation's largest drinking water aquifer. Written as a narrative, this page-turner takes an inside look at what happened to two families, a community, unprepared agencies and an inept company during an environmental disaster involving a new kind of oil few people know much about.

Download or read book The Use of Dispersants in Marine Oil Spill Response written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2020-04-24 with total page 341 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Whether the result of an oil well blowout, vessel collision or grounding, leaking pipeline, or other incident at sea, each marine oil spill will present unique circumstances and challenges. The oil type and properties, location, time of year, duration of spill, water depth, environmental conditions, affected biomes, potential human community impact, and available resources may vary significantly. Also, each spill may be governed by policy guidelines, such as those set forth in the National Response Plan, Regional Response Plans, or Area Contingency Plans. To respond effectively to the specific conditions presented during an oil spill, spill responders have used a variety of response optionsâ€"including mechanical recovery of oil using skimmers and booms, in situ burning of oil, monitored natural attenuation of oil, and dispersion of oil by chemical dispersants. Because each response method has advantages and disadvantages, it is important to understand specific scenarios where a net benefit may be achieved by using a particular tool or combination of tools. This report builds on two previous National Research Council reports on dispersant use to provide a current understanding of the state of science and to inform future marine oil spill response operations. The response to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill included an unprecedented use of dispersants via both surface application and subsea injection. The magnitude of the spill stimulated interest and funding for research on oil spill response, and dispersant use in particular. This study assesses the effects and efficacy of dispersants as an oil spill response tool and evaluates trade-offs associated with dispersant use.