Understanding Oil Spills and Oil Spill ResponseThe Office, 1993 - 47 pages |
From inside the book
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Page 1
... area . Some natural actions include weathering , evaporation , oxidation , biodegradation , and emulsification . Weathering is a series of chemical and physical changes that cause spilled oil to break down and become heavier than water ...
... area . Some natural actions include weathering , evaporation , oxidation , biodegradation , and emulsification . Weathering is a series of chemical and physical changes that cause spilled oil to break down and become heavier than water ...
Page 2
... area . Although some organisms may be seriously injured or killed very soon after contact with the oil in a spill ( lethal effects ) , non - lethal toxic effects are more subtle and often longer lasting . For example , marine life on ...
... area . Although some organisms may be seriously injured or killed very soon after contact with the oil in a spill ( lethal effects ) , non - lethal toxic effects are more subtle and often longer lasting . For example , marine life on ...
Page 3
... area . Salt marshes are found in sheltered waters in cold and temperate areas . They host a variety of plant , bird , and mammal life . Marsh vegetation , especially root systems , is easily damaged by fresh light oils . Mangrove ...
... area . Salt marshes are found in sheltered waters in cold and temperate areas . They host a variety of plant , bird , and mammal life . Marsh vegetation , especially root systems , is easily damaged by fresh light oils . Mangrove ...
Page 4
... areas , habitats and populations can recover quickly . In other environments , however , recovery from persistent or stranded oil may take years . Sea otters covered with oil SUMMARY Oil spilled at sea immediately begins to move and ...
... areas , habitats and populations can recover quickly . In other environments , however , recovery from persistent or stranded oil may take years . Sea otters covered with oil SUMMARY Oil spilled at sea immediately begins to move and ...
Page 9
... areas that cannot be reached by skimmers . Once sorbents have been used to recover oil , they must be removed from the water and properly disposed of on land or cleaned for re - use . Any oil that is removed from sorbent materials must ...
... areas that cannot be reached by skimmers . Once sorbents have been used to recover oil , they must be removed from the water and properly disposed of on land or cleaned for re - use . Any oil that is removed from sorbent materials must ...
Common terms and phrases
ability Alaska Alyeska animals areas beach biodegradation occurs biological bioremediation Bird Rescue Bligh Reef booms Center chemical cleanup activities cleanup efforts contain and clean damage dispersants disposal effects of oil Emulsification Environmental Protection Agency equipment evaporate Exxon Corporation Exxon Valdez federal agencies federal government fish floating following a spill food chain Gelling agents Gulf of Alaska Harbor seal harm human health liquid marine mammals microorganisms National Contingency Plan National Response System National Response Team natural processes nutrients oil slick oil spill cleanup oil spill occurs oil spill response oiled birds Oleophilic On-Scene Coordinator organic sorbents Oxidation petroleum petroleum products potential Prince William Sound recover oil recovery Regional Contingency Plans Regional Response Teams rehabilitation remove response personnel RRTS sand Sea Otter sensitive habitats skimmers species Specific gravity spilled oil spread of oil surface tension type of oil U.S. Coast Guard wave action wildlife
Popular passages
Page 37 - ... US history and tested the abilities of local, national, and industrial organizations to prepare for, and respond to, a disaster of such magnitude. Many factors complicated the cleanup efforts following the spill. The size of the spill and its remote location, accessible only by helicopter and boat, made government and industry efforts difficult and tested existing plans for dealing with such an event.
Page 37 - On March 24, 1989, shortly after midnight, the oil tanker Exxon Valdez struck Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska, spilling more than 1 1 million gallons of crude oil. The spill was the largest in US history and tested the abilities of local, national, and industrial organizations to prepare for, and respond to, a disaster of such magnitude. Many factors complicated the cleanup efforts following the spill. The size of the spill and its remote location, accessible...
Page 41 - Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Page 41 - Repairs were time-consuming. Transferring oil from temporary storage vessels into more permanent containers was also difficult because of the oil's weight and thickness.
Page 1 - Each type of oil has distinct physical properties that affect the way it spreads and breaks down, the hazard it may pose to marine (and human life), and the likelihood that it will pose a threat to natural and manmade resources. The rate at which an oil spill spreads will determine its effect on the environment. Most oils tend to spread horizontally into a smooth and slippery surface, called a "slick,
Page 41 - The use of dispersants was controversial. Alyeska had less than 4,000 gallons of dispersant available at its terminal in Valdez, and no application equipment or aircraft. A private company applied dispersants on March 24 with a helicopter and dispersant bucket. Because there was not enough wave action to mix the...
Page 41 - A fire-resistant boom was placed on tow lines, and two ends of the boom were each attached to a ship. The two ships with the boom between them moved slowly through the main portion of the slick until the boom was full of oil. The two ships then towed the boom away from the slick and the oil was ignited. The fire did not endanger the main slick or the Exxon Valdez because of the distance separating them.
Page 41 - Transferring oil from temporary storage vessels into more permanent containers was also difficult because of the oil's weight and thickness. Continued bad weather slowed down the recovery efforts.
Page 4 - When fur or feathers come into contact with oil, they get matted down. This matting causes fur and feathers to lose their insulating properties, placing animals at risk of freezing to death. As the complex structure of the feathers that allows birds to float becomes damaged, the risk of drowning increases for birds.