Understanding Oil Spills and Oil Spill ResponseThe Office, 1993 - 47 pages |
From inside the book
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Page 2
... washing up on shorelines long after a spill . Biodegradation occurs when micro- organisms such as bacteria feed on oil hydrocarbons . A wide range of micro- organisms is required for a significant reduction of the oil . To sustain ...
... washing up on shorelines long after a spill . Biodegradation occurs when micro- organisms such as bacteria feed on oil hydrocarbons . A wide range of micro- organisms is required for a significant reduction of the oil . To sustain ...
Page 18
... washed off . Oil that flows onto sandy beaches , however , can " escape " downward into sand , making it difficult to clean up and reducing its ability to degrade . Type and sensitivity of biological communities Biological communities ...
... washed off . Oil that flows onto sandy beaches , however , can " escape " downward into sand , making it difficult to clean up and reducing its ability to degrade . Type and sensitivity of biological communities Biological communities ...
Page 19
... washing raking or bulldozing Before physical cleaning methods are used , booms made of absorbent material are often ... washing Pressure washing involves rinsing oiled beach sands and rocks using hoses that supply low- or high - pressure ...
... washing raking or bulldozing Before physical cleaning methods are used , booms made of absorbent material are often ... washing Pressure washing involves rinsing oiled beach sands and rocks using hoses that supply low- or high - pressure ...
Page 20
... washed with pressure hoses , or left to degrade naturally . Raking and bulldozing are simple methods for helping to remove oil that might otherwise escape into sediments . However , DISPOSAL OF OIL AND DEBRIS Cleanup from an oil spill ...
... washed with pressure hoses , or left to degrade naturally . Raking and bulldozing are simple methods for helping to remove oil that might otherwise escape into sediments . However , DISPOSAL OF OIL AND DEBRIS Cleanup from an oil spill ...
Page 21
... washing , and raking and bulldozing can be used to assist these natural processes . Oil collected during cleanup activities must be reused or disposed of properly , using such methods as incineration or landfilling . Choosing the most ...
... washing , and raking and bulldozing can be used to assist these natural processes . Oil collected during cleanup activities must be reused or disposed of properly , using such methods as incineration or landfilling . Choosing the most ...
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.