Case Study - III - Class 8 PDF Download

Oil Spills

• Oil spills are accidental or intentional releases of liquid petroleum into oceans or coastal waters.
• Caused mainly by human actions, they are a type of pollution.
• Spills happen during transport via offshore platforms or drilling rigs.
• Cleaning spills takes weeks, months, or years, depending on factors.
• Rising oil production and use increases spill risks.

Causes of Oil Spills

• Petroleum moves via tankers, pipelines, railcars, platforms, rigs, wells, and trucks.
• Accidents during transport or storage cause spills.
• Illegal oil dumping by industries leads to spills.
• The 1991 Gulf War caused the largest oil spill, harming the environment.
• Natural events like tsunamis also trigger oil spills.

Effects of Oil Spills

• Effects on humans can be direct or indirect, based on contact type.
• Oil workers face direct exposure to spills.
• Oil’s volatile nature pollutes air, harming people.
• Walking in contaminated areas like beaches leads to skin absorption of oil.
• Fishing in polluted waters hurts fishermen and fisheries, as seen in the BP Gulf of Mexico spill.
• Property values drop based on spill size, affecting nearby areas.
• Large ocean spills impact fishermen, seamen, and ship workers.
• Government bans on fishing cause job losses and economic slowdowns.
• Oil coats rocks and sand on beaches, harming coastal areas.
• In marshes, mangroves, and wetlands, plants absorb oil, damaging wildlife habitats.
• Oil kills marine mammals like whales, dolphins, seals, and sea otters.
• Oil clogs blowholes of whales and dolphins, blocking breathing and communication.

Ways to Prevent Oil Spills

• Check equipment yearly for leaks in fuel lines, hoses, seals, and connections.
• Replace damaged parts with new fittings in water transport systems.
• Install oil safety valves on heating system supply lines to stop leaks.
• Clean oil tanks regularly.
• Replace underground tanks over 15 years old.

Causes of Oil Spills in the US

• Tankers stuck on shallow lands get holes during hauling, spilling oil.
• Tanker spills are common but make up only 2% of oil in water bodies.
• Geological activity naturally spills oil from the ocean floor.
• Petroleum products wash into water bodies during disposal.
• Water vehicles like motorboats and jet skis leak fuel, causing spills.
• Sea drilling releases oil and petroleum into the ocean.

Major Oil Spills in the US

• March 2006 - Prudhoe Bay, Alaska: Over 5,000 barrels spilled from a BP pipeline due to corrosion.
• BP halted production; incident led to stricter pipeline checks.
• August-September 2005 - New Orleans, Louisiana: Over 167,000 barrels spilled from pipelines, tanks, and plants.
• November 28, 2000 - Port Sulphur, Louisiana: 13,500 barrels of crude oil leaked into the Mississippi River after tanker Westchester ran aground.
• August 10, 1993 - Tampa Bay, Florida: 8,000 barrels spilled from barge Bouchard 155 after a collision.
• The US has had 47 oil spills, the most worldwide.
• High spill frequency ties to the US using nearly 25% of the world’s oil.
• Large oil transfers via pipelines and ships increase spill chances.
• Louisiana had 14 major spills, followed by California (8), Pennsylvania (4), Texas (3), and Alaska (3).