Limited Oil Spills In Harbor Areas

1969 ◽  
Vol 1969 (1) ◽  
pp. 151-156
Author(s):  
J. Stephen Dorrler

Abstract When compared on an individual basis to major oil pollution disasters, the average Navy oil spillage incident seems insignificant. However, when the cleanup costs are tallied, these limited oil spills do not appear so small. For example, a one barrel oil spill, discharged from a destroyer berthed at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard, took nine laborers, a boat operator, a truck driver, a crane operator and a supervisor one and a half days to clean up at a cost of $1,300. On the East Coast, the Norfolk Naval Shipyard spends approximately $1,000 an incident in its oil spill cleanup operations. These spills vary between 50 and 500 gallons. From the presented data which defines the limited oil spill, three general statements are derived:1. Limited oil spills are a large problem due to their numerous occurrences.2. Limited oil spills require proper treatment.3. Limited oil spills are expensive to treat. This paper investigates this last statement and by so doing discloses the actual problems which contribute to the high cost of cleaning up limited oil spills. Three factors are discussed:1. The physical conditions affecting an oil spill.,a. Location of the slick,b. Oil Slick Movement,(1) Spreading,(2) Weather, wind and current effects,2. The type of equipment employed.,a. Booms,b. Chemical Dispersants,c. Physical Removal,(1) Skimmers,(2) Straws,3. The completeness of the removal operation. The limited harbor oil spill is expensive and the cost is expected to rise. At the present time, the typical oil spill costs the Navy over $1,000 to clean up. This cost will increase as control agencies rightfully require more removal and more complete removal.

1999 ◽  
Vol 1999 (1) ◽  
pp. 257-265
Author(s):  
Edward J. Maillett ◽  
Gary A. Yoshioka

ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is to estimate the cumulative cost incurred by private industry as a result of the various regulations enacted under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90) and to compare these costs against the estimated effectiveness of the program in terms of avoided future oil spills. The authors reviewed Federal Register announcements of federal agency rulemakings to identify estimated costs to industry and to determine if reported costs are one-time occurrences for capital-related expenditures or represent annual estimates for repeated activities. The authors then estimated the total costs of each rulemaking through the year 2015. The costs of regulations implemented under OPA 90 that impact the private sector range from zero to $3.5 billion in discounted dollars. Based on these individual government estimates for each OPA 90 regulation, the authors estimate the discounted cost to industry to comply with all of the OPA 90 requirements to be $12.1 billion, the largest portion of which affects the marine vessel industry. Total benefits of the rulemakings are estimated to exceed 3.6 million barrels of avoided oil spills through the year 2015. Over one-half of this benefit estimate results from the facility response planning requirements for non-transportation-related on-shore facilities and pipelines. The cost effectiveness of regulations implemented under OPA 90 ranges between several hundred dollars to over $26,000 per barrel of avoided oil spill.


2009 ◽  
Vol 46 (04) ◽  
pp. 219-228
Author(s):  
Yashuhira Yamada

The purpose of this paper is to consider a practical way to estimate the cost of oil spills from ships within the framework of establishing environmental risk evaluation criteria in International Maritime Organization (IMO). Regression analysis between the cost of oil spills and the weight of oil spilled (oil spill weight) was carried out using historical oil spill data from tankers reported by International Oil Pollution Compensation (IOPC) Funds. A nonlinear regression formula between the cost of oil spills and the oil spill weight is estimated from the historical data, and a critical value of cost to avert one tonne of spilled oil (CATScr) is obtained. CATScr obtained by the present study is compared with that obtained by previous work. This study shows that the cost of oil spills estimated by the present regression formula is in fairly good agreement with the mean value obtained from historical data while the CATScr gives relatively larger costs and shows the upper bound of the cost of oil spills.


1999 ◽  
Vol 1999 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine J. Grey

ABSTRACT The 1971 and 1992 International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds (IOPC Funds) provide compensation to the victims of oil spills from tankers in countries which have ratified the 1971 and 1992 Fund Conventions. Since 1978, they have dealt with more than 100 incidents, paying compensation in 68 of these. Details of the individual incidents are given together with the total cost for each, expressed in US$. The numbers, sizes and costs of the incidents are analysed in detail and compared with the incidence of all tanker spills in Fund countries, using data from the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation's (ITOPF) Oil Spill Database. This analysis reveals a number of trends relating to the size of tankers; the amount and type of oil spilled; and the geographical location. The 1971 IOPC Fund has undoubtedly proved highly effective, but recent incidents have tested the limits of compensation available. The 1992 Fund Convention entered into force in May 1996, providing both higher limits and a broader scope. However, the threshold at which it comes into effect is also higher, thereby excluding many of the less expensive spills which would previously have been covered by the 1971 Fund Convention. The significance of this for the numbers and costs of incidents likely to be dealt with by both the 1971 and the 1992 IOPC Funds is examined.


1987 ◽  
Vol 1987 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. H. Moller ◽  
H. D. Parker ◽  
J. A. Nichols

ABSTRACT This paper examines the costs of various cleanup techniques, drawing mainly on information from recent oil spills from ships. Analyses of the costs for dispersant application and for the use of offshore mechanical recovery equipment are compared in relation to their effectiveness and scope for reducing shoreline cleanup costs and damage from oil pollution. Spill size, oil type, coastline character, and the extent of pollution all contribute to the observed differences in shoreline cleanup and disposal costs. The influence of these factors is evaluated and criteria are proposed for selecting the most appropriate cleanup response to suit the circumstancees of a particular oil spill. On occasions, a response at sea is both necessary and worthwhile, but for most spills shoreline cleanup, including protection of sensitive resources, is likely to be the most cost-effective option.


1991 ◽  
Vol 1991 (1) ◽  
pp. 377-383
Author(s):  
Richard W. Dunford ◽  
Sara P. Hudson ◽  
William H. Desvousges

ABSTRACT The new Oil Pollution Act of 1990 defines natural resource damages from oil spills as the sum of the cost to restore foregone natural resource services, the diminution of value of natural resource services prior to restoration, and damage assessment costs. Natural resource damages are usually determined once removal activities (containment, protection, and cleanup) are completed. Nevertheless, removal activities affect the magnitude of all three natural resource damage components. Consequently, to minimize the total cost of oil spills, decisions on removal activities should consider the linkages between removal activities and natural resource damages. Successful containment results in minimal natural resource damages, because oil generally does far less damage to natural resources in open water than on shore. If oil cannot be contained, the potential natural resource damages from oil coming ashore in certain areas can help determine priorities for protection activities. In particular, oil may harm natural resource services much more in some areas than in others. Furthermore, some natural resource services are more costly to restore and assess than others. Finally, some cleanup activities do more harm than good to natural resource services. If the effects of cleanup activities on natural resource damages are ignored, “excessive” cleanup activities are likely.


Author(s):  
Emilio D’Ugo ◽  
Milena Bruno ◽  
Arghya Mukherjee ◽  
Dhrubajyoti Chattopadhyay ◽  
Roberto Giuseppetti ◽  
...  

AbstractMicrobiomes of freshwater basins intended for human use remain poorly studied, with very little known about the microbial response to in situ oil spills. Lake Pertusillo is an artificial freshwater reservoir in Basilicata, Italy, and serves as the primary source of drinking water for more than one and a half million people in the region. Notably, it is located in close proximity to one of the largest oil extraction plants in Europe. The lake suffered a major oil spill in 2017, where approximately 400 tons of crude oil spilled into the lake; importantly, the pollution event provided a rare opportunity to study how the lacustrine microbiome responds to petroleum hydrocarbon contamination. Water samples were collected from Lake Pertusillo 10 months prior to and 3 months after the accident. The presence of hydrocarbons was verified and the taxonomic and functional aspects of the lake microbiome were assessed. The analysis revealed specialized successional patterns of lake microbial communities that were potentially capable of degrading complex, recalcitrant hydrocarbons, including aromatic, chloroaromatic, nitroaromatic, and sulfur containing aromatic hydrocarbons. Our findings indicated that changes in the freshwater microbial community were associated with the oil pollution event, where microbial patterns identified in the lacustrine microbiome 3 months after the oil spill were representative of its hydrocarbonoclastic potential and may serve as effective proxies for lacustrine oil pollution.


1978 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 510-520 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Teal ◽  
Kathryn Burns ◽  
John Farrington

We have analyzed the two- and three-ring aromatic hydrocarbons from the Wild Harbor oil spill in September 1969 and the Winsor Cove oil spill in October 1974, in intertidal marsh sediments, using glass capillary gas-chromatographic and mass-fragmentographic analyses. Naphthalenes with 0–3 alkyl substitutions and phenanthrenes with 0–2 substitutions decreased in concentration with time in surface sediments. The more substituted aromatics decreased relatively less and in some cases actually increased in absolute concentration. The changes in composition of the aromatic fraction have potential consequences for the ecosystem and provide insight into geochemical processes of oil weathering. Key words: oil pollution, aromatic hydrocarbons; gas chromatography; gas chromatography–mass spectrometry; geochemistry; marsh; sediments; oil spills


1973 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 140
Author(s):  
G. N. Keith

The incidence of oil spillage from offshore exploration and production activities is comparatively low but the Santa Barbara and Chevron blowouts remind us of what can happen.There are two things each operator can do to help ensure he is prepared in the event of an emergency. First, a comprehensive inhouse contingency plan should be prepared before commencing operations in an area. The plan will ensure that adequate first-aid measures are on hand at all times and will go on to list the location and availability of additional assistance both in equipment and manpower.Second, the operator should be prepared to participate in the oil industry's National Oil Spills Action Plan. This plan is designed to ensure that the entire resources of the industry can be made available and effectively co-ordinated to combat an oil spill anywhere on the coast of Australia.


2011 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 719
Author(s):  
Simon Ball

There is no doubt that the recent Montara and Deepwater Horizon oil spills were catastrophic; the clean up continues and litigation is likely to drag on for several years. Who is held liable for the cost and clean up of an oil pollution event? Are these spills likely to change the field—if so, in what ways? Will the present contracting and insurance practices of Australian industry players be sufficient to protect them in the future? Offshore petroleum and gas production activities are covered by a range of sometimes confusing international, federal and state or territory laws. Operators, directors, contractors, financiers, co-venturers and other stakeholders may all have legal responsibilities in relation to pollution and other environmental impacts of offshore exploration and production activities. The Montara Commission of Inquiry has not yet been released, but the 2009 Productivity Commission Report has already focused attention on these issues. With reference to contracting practices in the Australian offshore petroleum and gas production industry—in particular indemnities and provisions purporting to limit or exclude liability—this paper outlines the potential extent of stakeholders’ liabilities under relevant international conventions, federal and state or territory legislation, and the common law. It considers the effect of anticipated changes to the operating environment in Australia and lessons to be learned after Montara. This paper will be of interest to any prudent investors, operators or others involved in the industry.


2019 ◽  
Vol 91 (4) ◽  
pp. 648-653
Author(s):  
Aleksandrs Urbahs ◽  
Vladislavs Zavtkevics

Purpose This paper aims to analyze the application of remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) for remote oil spill sensing. Design/methodology/approach This paper is an analysis of RPA strong points. Findings To increase the accuracy and eliminate potentially false contamination detection, which can be caused by external factors, an oil thickness measurement algorithm is used with the help of the multispectral imaging that provides high accuracy and is versatile for any areas of water and various meteorological and atmospheric conditions. Research limitations/implications SWOT analysis of implementation of RPA for remote sensing of oil spills. Practical implications The use of RPA will improve the remote sensing of oil spills. Social implications The concept of oil spills monitoring needs to be developed for quality data collection, oil pollution control and emergency response. Originality/value The research covers the development of a method and design of a device intended for taking samples and determining the presence of oil contamination in an aquatorium area; the procedure includes taking a sample from the water surface, preparing it for transportation and delivering the sample to a designated location by using the RPA. The objective is to carry out the analysis of remote oil spill sensing using RPA. The RPA provides a reliable sensing of oil pollution with significant advantages over other existing methods. The objective is to analyze the use of RPA employing all of their strong points. In this paper, technical aspects of sensors are analyzed, as well as their advantages and limitations.


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