An oil spill represents an immediate fire hazard. The Kuwaiti oil fires produced air pollution that caused respiratory distress. The Deepwater Horizon explosion killed eleven oil rig workers. The fire resulting from the Lac-Mégantic derailment killed 47 and destroyed half of the town’s centre.
Spilled oil can also contaminate drinking water supplies. For example, in 2013 two different oil spills contaminated water supplies for 300,000 in Miri, Malaysia; 80,000 people in Coca, Ecuador,. In 2000, springs were contaminated by an oil spill in Clark County, Kentucky.
Contamination can have an economic impact on tourism and marine resource extraction industries. For example, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill impacted beach tourism and fishing along
Almost hundreds of employees have been hospitalized due to oil spill related health problems, according to the Nigerian state health department. And while some say chemicals in the oil itself are to blame, others speculate chemicals called dispersants being used to break up the massive slick could be playing a role.
The BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill affected many small and large businesses in the coastal Gulf State regions, either directly or indirectly . The following industries showed a drop in activity level:
The biggest industry that was affected because of the 2010 BP oil spill was the seafood industry. The gulf coast is where majority of the U.S seafood comes from, and the oil from the
The effect of oil spill is usually calculated in terms of damage on the environment, aftermath on marine species, and effect on the tourism and fishery industries. The impact on human health is less known relatively. The financial costs associated with oil spills are also a factor. Arguably, it is a less serious consequence of an Oil Spill, however the financial costs have the potential to bankrupt an organization. BP suffered major financial loss as a result of the Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico. They have paid up to $1.5 billion in an effort to settle various claims and compensation. (BP, n.d)
For example, crude oil tankers accident can release lots of oils which will be detrimental to the aquatic lives, agricultural land and environments as a whole and will cost lots of money in clean-up. According to the National Strategy for the Marine Transportation System (2008) “approximately 100,000 tons of oil from sources other than natural seeps is released annually into North America’s waterways and sea lane. Petroleum products spilled into waterways can have both short- and long-term effects on water quality and living resources”. There are lots of environmental impacts such as water pollution and contamination that can result in hazardous waste being discharged in the maritime ports which increases risk of illness, such as respiratory disease or cancer, causes significant damage water quality, and consequently affects marine life and ecosystems and human
Necessary steps have been taken to take control on the spill but still there is much to handle when it comes to the consistent danger being faced by the environment. The main culprit ingredient of the incident is the petroleum posing a number of disastrous effects to the environment.
An oil spill spreading to either coast could cause a major disruption in fishing and vacation industries and would wash up many jobs. Any oil spreading to the coast will cause a disruption in vacation revenue, and many jobs would be destroyed due to not enough people coming to their tourist spots. Opponents argue that oil drilling will resolve the problem of oil and gas scarcity for the next few decades. Offshore drilling makes oil and gas much cheaper than the past few years with prices as low as eighty five dollars per barrel of oil (Wickham). But, oil drilling creates a major risk to our environment, and has already started to degrade the Gulf of Mexico after over three million gallons of oil leaked from the Deepwater explosion. Just because the price of oil under current procedures is low, does not mean that the government shouldn’t take steps forward to ensure the environment was as clean as it once was before oil drilling
In Santa Barbara, California, in 1969, even though the spilled oil was not even very large, thousands of dolphins, seals, and birds were killed (Ivanovich, and Hays, 2008). Moreover, in the Gulf of Mexico, 82,000 birds, roughly 6,165 sea turtles, approximately 25,900 marine mammals, and indefinite amount of oysters, fishes, corals, and crabs have been harmed or killed by the spilled oil. Additionally, the spilled has killed many aquatic plants. ( A Center for Biological Diversity Report, 2008). As a result, vegetation, which are the most essential part of the ecological pyramid, and other animals will be affected negatively by the dangerous impact of the spilled oil, which probably is going to cause some problems in the ecological pyramid. In fact, any defect in the ecological pyramid may become a dreadful problem that occurs an ecological
Over 8000 animals were reported dead 6 months after the spill, including many that were on the endangered species list (7). Subsequently, seafood prices increased affecting restaurants and supermarkets. People abstained from going to beaches covered in oil, water sports and other aquatic attractions which meant that all organisations involved in tourism such as hotels, tour operators, restaurants and boat rental companies were affected (1). Furthermore, the method of cleaning up the oil by “in-situ burning” (burning oil in a contained area on the surface of the water), had adverse effects on the environment as the burning off of the oil led to mutations and increased mortality due to pollution.
Oil spills can impact the environment greatly. Since the oil boats are on the ocean if the break and start to leak it goes into the ocean where it can harm the ocean and those that make their home in it. “That spill caused an immediate and significant impact to the ecosystem, with sightings of birds and turtles washed up on beaches covered with oil, as well as an increase in the deaths of other marine life” (Sinclair, 2017). The oil spill in 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico was the biggest since Deepwater Horizon. It caused harm to the ecosystem around it because technology came in so it could pump oil out of the ground under the ocean. There is no way to know the impact that oil spill and really every oil spill has had on the marine ecosystem.
The Bp spill in the Gulf of Mexico is considered to be one of the biggest oil spill disasters. The Bp oil spill affect many people and the environment. The oil spill was an oil disaster and globally financial disaster, and it had a negative impact on the sea and the oceans around it. the oil spread everywhere, and it affected every living animals that came in contact with it. However, many tries were made to try to stop the leak, but all failed until the leak was declared officially closed by the us government. According to the “BP and the Deepwater Horizon Disaster of 2010” states that “the Deepwater Horizon, 17 were injured, including Williams, and 11 were killed. The rig burned for 36 hours, combusting the 700,000 gallons of oil that were
According to www.bydesign.com, ships, barges, trucks, railways, pipelines and super tankers are used to transport oil globally. Often, oil is found far from its needed location. Unfortunately, transportation of oil can often result in great damage to the environment. Seepage from pipelines often destroys much wildlife and animal life. Oil spills are common. One of the most famous oil spills was when the Exxon Valdez super tanker ran aground an Alaskan reef in March of 1989. The spill was highly publicized and many were extremely concerned about the long term environmental impact.
Over 8000 animals were reported dead 6 months after the spill, including many that were on the endangered species list (9). Subsequently, seafood prices increased affecting restaurants and supermarkets. People abstained from going to beaches covered in oil, water sports and other aquatic attractions which meant that all organisations involved in tourism such as hotels, tour operators, restaurants and boat rental companies were affected (1). Furthermore, the cleaning process, a method of treating oil by "in-situ burning" (burning oil in a contained area on the surface of the water), had negative effects on the environment as the burning off of the oil led to mutations and increased mortality due to pollution.
Production of these resources also causes damage to the environment. This can be either through the damage caused by the extraction of the resource or the disposal of them at the end of their life span (Royal Automobile Club, 2013). The drilling and extraction of oil is quite complex and can leave numerous opportunities for error or accidents. Contamination is eminent via the large waste pits, often left unlined and open affecting many of the surrounding water sources. Flames from burning the natural gas found in oil fields also cause significant air pollution. Oil spills, accidents and illegal dumping of oil barrels lead to devastating ecological and health consequences that can
Oil Spills, their impact on the environment, and the great loss of human and marine life are a severe problem for the oil industry, one which needs to be prevented in the future. Oil production and transportation at sea has grown to inconceivable levels. Increasingly, as a society, we are having larger and more numerous oil spills which in turn cause an increase in danger for marine life and human life, even though laws and regulations regarding the extraction and transfer of oil are becoming increasingly complex and thorough.