ROLE OF DYNAMIC COASTAL PROCESSES IN THE IMPACT AND DISPERSAL OF THE AMOCO CADIZ OIL SPILL (MARCH 1978) BRITTANY, FRANCE

1979 ◽  
Vol 1979 (1) ◽  
pp. 193-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miles O. Hayes ◽  
Erich R. Gundlach ◽  
Laurent D'Ozouville
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Vulnerability Index ◽  
The United States ◽  
Coastal Processes ◽  
Coastal Environments ◽  
Spill Site ◽  
Rocky Coasts ◽  
Marsh Pools ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT Between 60,000 and 65,000 tons of the Amoco Cadiz oil came ashore along approximately 70 km of the shoreline of Brittany during the first few weeks of the spill (March 16–30, 1978). A prevailing westerly wind pushed the oil against west-facing headlands and into shoreline embayments as it moved east. A wind reversal in early April moved the oil in the opposite direction, contaminating previously untouched areas and transporting the oil as far southwest as Pointe du Raz (southwest of Brest). At the end of April, the total volume of oil onshore was reduced to approximately 10,000 tons but by that time more than 300 km of shoreline had been contaminated. The details of oil erosion and burial were determined by resurveying 19 permanent beach profiles established during the first few days of the spill. These stations, plus an additional 147 beach observation stations, were revisited one month after the spill. Coastal processes and geomorphology played a major role in the dispersal and accumulation of the oil once it came onshore. For example, oil accumulated at the heads of crenulate bays and on tombolos (sand spits formed in the lee of offshore islands). Local sinks, such as scour pits around boulders, bar troughs (runnels), marsh pools, and joints and crevasses in rocks, tended to trap oil. Classification of the coastal environments of the Amoco Cadiz oil spill site, according to an oil spill vulnerability index (scale of 1–10 on basis of potential oil spill damage), revealed a good correlation with earlier findings at the Metula and Urquiola oil spill sites. For example, exposed rocky coasts and wave-cut platforms (stations 1 and 2) were cleaned of extremely heavy doses of oil within a few days. Sheltered rocky coasts (station 8), sheltered tidal flats (station 9) and estuarine marsh systems (station 10) proved to be the most vulnerable of all coastal environments to oil spill damage. These observations provide encouragement and incentive to continue to apply the vulnerability index to areas in the United States threatened by potential oil spills. The Brittany coastline is particularly analogous to the coastline of Maine and parts of southern Alaska.

scholarly journals Is There a New Normal For Natural Resource Damage Settlements Since the Deepwater Horizon Settlement?

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard W. Dunford ◽  
Gerald F. George
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Statistical Model ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Natural Resource ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Deepwater Horizon ◽  
The United States ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
New Normal ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT Recently, Dunford, et al. (2019) published a statistical model analyzing the variation in natural resource damage (NRD) settlement amounts for oil spills in the United States. One of the significant explanatory factors in the statistical model was the impact of the unprecedented magnitude of the NRD settlement in the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill. Specifically, while the settlement itself was excluded in the statistical analysis, NRD settlements for oil spills that were lodged after the DWH settlement were almost four times the amount of NRD settlements for oil spills that were lodged prior to DWH settlement, holding other factors equal. For simplicity, we refer to this phenomenon as the “DWH effect.” In our paper we examine three potential causes of the DWH effect. Since there were only five settlements between the DWH settlement in 2015 and the end of 2017 (the last year in the database), one potential cause is a small-sample effect. Specifically, the five spills that settled may have had particularly severe natural resource injuries, resulting in much greater NRD. This cause seemed unlikely based on our review of the five spills. Adding NRD settlements in the last three years for five more spills to the Dunford et al. (2019) database and re-running their model lowered the DWH effect multiplier to 2.4 from about four. Thus, expanding the sample size with five recent settlements lowered the DWH effect, but it remains quite substantial. A second cause of the DWH effect may be an anchoring effect. By its nature, measurement of NRD is imprecise, and in the absence of litigation, parties have been left to look to past settlements for benchmarks in settlement negotiations. The DWH settlement may have raised the expectations of natural resource Trustees in negotiating settlements in later NRD cases. At the same time, the magnitude of the DWH settlement may have made responsible parties more comfortable with higher settlement amounts. This cause seems likely. A third potential contribution to the DWH effect may be associated with a shifting of other oil spill liabilities under the Oil Pollution Act (e.g., fines and penalties) into NRD liability. Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs), which are often used to reduce monetary fines for spills, may have played a smaller role in recent settlements, and are disfavored under the current U.S. Department of Justice. Both Trustees and parties responsible for oil spills may be willing to shift penalties or SEPs into NRD for different reasons, as discussed in our paper. However, we found little evidence to support this cause of the DWH effect. A key question is whether the DWH effect is temporary or permanent. Our addition of five recent NRD settlements to the Dunford, et al. (2019) statistical analysis provides some support for a declining DWH effect over time. However, given the dynamics of the NRD negotiation process, we suspect that the DWH settlement has established a new plateau for future NRD settlements, leaving the DWH effect as the new normal.

scholarly journals Quantifying the consequence of applying conservative assumptions in the assessment of oil spill effects on polar cod (Boreogadus saida) populations

Polar Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 575-586
Author(s):  
Pepijn De Vries ◽  
Jacqueline Tamis ◽  
Jasmine Nahrgang ◽  
Marianne Frantzen ◽  
Robbert Jak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Threshold Concentration ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Polar Cod ◽  
Boreogadus Saida ◽  
Precautionary Approach ◽  
Recovery Duration ◽  
The Impact

AbstractIn order to assess the potential impact from oil spills and decide the optimal response actions, prediction of population level effects of key resources is crucial. These assessments are usually based on acute toxicity data combined with precautionary assumptions because chronic data are often lacking. To better understand the consequences of applying precautionary approaches, two approaches for assessing population level effects on the Arctic keystone species polar cod (Boreogadus saida) were compared: a precautionary approach, where all exposed individuals die when exposed above a defined threshold concentration, and a refined (full-dose-response) approach. A matrix model was used to assess the population recovery duration of scenarios with various but constant exposure concentrations, durations and temperatures. The difference between the two approaches was largest for exposures with relatively low concentrations and short durations. Here, the recovery duration for the refined approach was less than eight times that found for the precautionary approach. Quantifying these differences helps to understand the consequences of precautionary assumptions applied to environmental risk assessment used in oil spill response decision making and it can feed into the discussion about the need for more chronic toxicity testing. An elasticity analysis of our model identified embryo and larval survival as crucial processes in the life cycle of polar cod and the impact assessment of oil spills on its population.

ANALISA PENCEMARAN LAUT OLEH PTT EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION (PTTEP) AUSTRALASIA TERHADAP LAUT TIMOR INDONESIA

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 127
Author(s):  
Paulin Yosephin Marini ◽  
Sherlly Monica Bonsapia ◽  
Johni R.V. Korwa
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Oil Field ◽  
Australian Government ◽  
Compensation Mechanisms ◽  
Exploration And Production ◽  
Data Collection Technique ◽  
The Impact

<p><em>This study aims to analyze a blowout from an oil and gas leak owned by PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP) Australasia in the Montara oil field in the Indonesian Timor Sea, and how to resolve disputes between Australia and Indonesia. A qualitative approach was used in this study, whilst the data collection technique was through library research. The theory of state responsibility, the concept of human security, and the concept of international maritime law are used to analyze disputes between Indonesia and Australia. The study found that the Montara oil spill had not only damaged the marine ecosystem but also polluted Indonesian waters. It also found that although the Australian government had formed a special commission to resolve cases and even used dispersant, it had not satisfied all parties. Several points are summarized. First, the Montara oil spill in Australia is a transnational study because the impact has crossed national borders. Secondly, UNCLOS has a weakness in the settlement of the Montara case because the Convention only provides a description related to ‘Responsibility of Each Country’ and does not specifically arrange material compensation mechanisms to countries that cause sea pollution. Third, the Montara oil spill has caused huge losses for Indonesian seaweed farmers, especially 13 districts in NTT. The recommendations are that the Indonesian government along with the Montara Victim Peoples’ Advocacy Team should continue to follow up the case of oil spills from the Montara platform and continue to fight for compensation to the Australian government and the PTTEP as the responsible party.</em></p>

scholarly journals Predicting the impact of future oil-spill closures on fishery-dependent communities—a spatially explicit approach

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Igal Berenshtein ◽  
Shay O’Farrell ◽  
Natalie Perlin ◽  
James N Sanchirico ◽  
Steven A Murawski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Gulf Coast ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Spatially Explicit ◽  
Oil Transport ◽  
Fishing Fleets ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Major oil spills immensely impact the environment and society. Coastal fishery-dependent communities are especially at risk as their fishing grounds are susceptible to closure because of seafood contamination threat. During the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) disaster for example, vast areas of the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) were closed for fishing, resulting in coastal states losing up to a half of their fishery revenues. To predict the effect of future oil spills on fishery-dependent communities in the GoM, we develop a novel framework that combines a state-of-the-art three-dimensional oil-transport model with high-resolution spatial and temporal data for two fishing fleets—bottom longline and bandit-reel—along with data on the social vulnerability of coastal communities. We demonstrate our approach by simulating spills in the eastern and western GoM, calibrated to characteristics of the DWH spill. We find that the impacts of the eastern and western spills are strongest in the Florida and Texas Gulf coast counties respectively both for the bandit-reel and the bottom longline fleets. We conclude that this multimodal spatially explicit quantitative framework is a valuable management tool for predicting the consequences of oil spills at locations throughout the Gulf, facilitating preparedness and efficient resource allocation for future oil-spill events.

DAMAGE ASSESSMENT IN COASTAL HABITATS: LESSONS LEARNED FROM EXXON VALDEZ

1993 ◽  
Vol 1993 (1) ◽  
pp. 695-697 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas A. Dean ◽  
Lyman McDonald ◽  
Michael S. Stekoll ◽  
Richard R. Rosenthal
Keyword(s):  
Optimal Design ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Damage Assessment ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Exxon Valdez ◽  
Before And After ◽  
And Control ◽  
Alternative Designs ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT This paper examines alternative designs for the monitoring and assessment of damages of environmental impacts such as oil spills. The optimal design requires sampling at pairs of impacted (oiled) and control (unoiled) sites both before and after the event. However, this design proved impractical in evaluating impacts of the Exxon Valdez oil spill on nearshore subtidal communities, and may be impractical for future monitoring. An alternative design is discussed in which sampling is conducted at pairs of control and impact sites only after the impact.

Burning of Oil Spills

1991 ◽  
Vol 1991 (1) ◽  
pp. 677-680 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.D. Evans ◽  
G.W. Mulholland ◽  
J.R. Lawson ◽  
E.J. Tennyson ◽  
M.F. Fingas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crude Oil ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Technical Assistance ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Research Effort ◽  
Heat Radiation ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Management Service ◽  
Environment Canada ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT The Center for Fire Research (CFR) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is conducting research related to safety in offshore drilling and oil spill pollution under joint funding from Minerals Management Service (MMS), U.S. Coast Guard, and the American Petroleum Institute. Technical assistance in measurement has been donated by Environment Canada. This research has focused on examining the phenomena associated with crude oil combustion and the impact of using burning as a spill response method. The process of burning crude oil on water as a means to mitigate oil spills has been investigated with a research effort combining both small-scale experiments and calculations. As a result of these studies, there has been increased understanding of the burning process, including burning rate, heat radiation, smoke emission, smoke composition, and smoke dispersion in the atmosphere. A key to gaining acceptance of burning as a spill response technique is the demonstration that favorable results obtained at laboratory scale can be shown to continue in test burns representing the size of fires expected in actual operations. Field-scale burn tests are being planned and coordinated jointly by MMS, API, USCG, and Environment Canada to document the use of burning technology under conditions simulating actual oil spill cleanup operations. The purpose of this project is to measure the effects of oil spill burning in laboratory and field tests.

FATE OF THE ZOE COLOCOTRONI OIL SPILL AND ITS EFFECTS ON INFAUNAL COMMUNITIES ASSOCIATED WITH MANGROVES

1981 ◽  
Vol 1981 (1) ◽  
pp. 353-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward S. Gilfillan ◽  
David S. Page ◽  
Ray P. Gerber ◽  
Sherry Hansen ◽  
Judy Cooley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Community Analysis ◽  
Reference Area ◽  
Infaunal Community ◽  
Red Mangrove ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Mangrove Environment ◽  
Impact Area ◽  
Spill Site ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT During 1978 and 1979, sediment samples were collected in the mangrove areas on the west side of Bahia Sucia, Puerto Rico, to examine the effects of oil discharged from the tanker Zoe Colocotroni (March 18, 1973) on the infaunal community. Samples for benthic community analysis and hydrocarbon analysis were taken in representative types of mangrove habitats and compared with habitats in a reference area some distance from the spill site. Infaunal organisms larger than 0.5 mm were included in this study. Correlation of biological and chemical data indicates that for the high salinity habitats there were more infaunal organisms larger than 0.5 millimeters in the oiled area than in the unoiled area. Analyses of the red mangrove fringe areas showed that the distribution of infaunal organisms was not related to the distribution of oil in an obvious way. Large numbers of organisms were found in some heavily oiled areas. Even the most diverse communities seen in the impact area were not as diverse as the community seen in the unoiled reference area. We conclude that only in the red mangrove environment is there remaining damage to infaunal communities from the Zoe Colocotroni oil spill.

Using the Pieces to Solve the Puzzle: A Framework for Making Decisions About Applied Response Technologies

2001 ◽  
Vol 2001 (1) ◽  
pp. 503-508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Hayward Walker ◽  
Debra Scholz ◽  
John N. Boyd ◽  
Ed Levine ◽  
Eric Moser
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Evaluation System ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Decision Aids ◽  
The United States ◽  
Information Resources ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Chemical Additives ◽  
Regulatory Requirement ◽  
Comprehensive Framework

ABSTRACT The National Contingency Plan (NCP) Product Schedule, the Applied Response Tool Evaluation System (ARTES), and the Selection Guide for Oil Spill Applied Technologies (Selection Guide) are information and evaluation resources that, used together, provide spill response decision makers with a comprehensive framework to assess the potential uses and effects of applied response technologies either during an oil spill emergency or in advance. The applied response technologies addressed by these response tools include fastwater booming strategies, nonfloating oil strategies, water-intake monitoring, alternative sorbents, bioremediation agents, dispersants, elasticity modifiers, emulsion treating agents, firefighting foams, in situ burning on land and inland waters, solidifiers, surface-collecting agents, surface-washing agents, and shoreline pretreatment agents. The U.S. NCP regulates the use of any chemical/biological product as a spill response tool. In most instances, decision makers are aware of these information resources, but many government and industry users are unclear on the relationship among the three, that is, what does each do, how are they similar and/or different, and how can each be used in relation to the others. To make a well-reasoned decision, decision makers need to understand the functions of each. This paper provides an overview of the NCP Product Schedule, which is a regulatory requirement for considering the use of biological and chemical additives on oil spills in the United States, and how the Product Schedule can be used in conjunction with decision aids, like ARTES and the Selection Guide, to select the proper response products and strategies for oil spills. The paper reviews the functions, limitations, and flexibility of each component in this decision framework and discusses ways to use all three information resources to reason through when the use of applied response tools might be ecologically appropriate.

COMPARISON OF OIL SPILL RATES IN DIFFERENT REGIONS OF THE UNITED STATES

1997 ◽  
Vol 1997 (1) ◽  
pp. 947-949
Author(s):  
Gary Yoshioka ◽  
Brad Kaiman ◽  
Eva Wong
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Coastal Area ◽  
East Coast ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Gulf Coast ◽  
The United States ◽  
Movement Data ◽  
Exposure Variable ◽  
Over Time

ABSTRACT Recent studies of oil spills of more than 10,000 gallons examined spill rates in certain East Coast and Gulf Coast regions of the United States. Using oil movement data as the exposure variable, these studies found similar spill rates among the regions and over time. This analysis expands upon these earlier studies by examining the California coastal area and by calculating new spill rates using refining capacity as the exposure variable.

The Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund: How Effective an Instrument of U.S. Public Policy Has It Been?1

1999 ◽  
Vol 1999 (1) ◽  
pp. 655-658
Author(s):  
Daniel F. Sheehan
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil Pollution ◽  
The United States ◽  
Time Frame ◽  
Trust Fund ◽  
International Regime ◽  
Exxon Valdez ◽  
The Public ◽  
International Liability ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT The Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (OSLTF) was forged in the legislative cauldron of the aftermath of the Exxon Valdez casualty. However, its genesis really began with Congressional consideration and debate concerning whether to adopt an international liability and compensation regime or improve the unilateral system unique to the United States. The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 significantly expanded the scope of the unique U.S. mechanism, while at the same time it urged the Administration to continue to examine the possibilities of becoming party to an international regime. Ten years after the Exxon Valdez casualty provides a convenient and appropriate time frame for reflection on how well the public has been served by the establishment and implementation of the regime of which the OSLTF is a major element. The impact on various publics served and stakeholders impacted will be analyzed and evaluated. While there are clearly differences in scope, application, and funding mechanisms between the U.S. and international regime, there are substantial similarities in terms of process, administration, areas of concern and interest.

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