Oil Spill Disasters

Despite the spectacular spills that happened in the latter decades of the twentieth century and spurred substantial technological advancements and the management of coordinated responses, there is still no system for cleaning up notable oil spills that is adequate.

As long as the oil is confined and removed sufficiently, economic activity can continue, and natural marine ecosystem recovery processes can take over. The spread of an oil slick can be limited by deploying floating booms around the spill source or at the entry to waterways and ports. There are the incidents like Kamarajar Port Limited’s (KPL), which handle the ships and ports apart from accidents on oil rigs and ships at sea.

What Causes an Oil Leak?

The oil spilt is modest in most cases, such as when a ship’s fuel leaks. Oil spills come in a variety of forms. Some incidents can have long-term consequences, such as the major oil spill disaster in Mauritius in 2020. Oil spills are widespread when oil pipelines burst or ships capsize; oil well failures are common.

Which Spills Have Been Most Catastrophic?

Not every oil spill is the same. If crude oil or refined oil products spill, the severity of the fall will be influenced by that as well. To put it simply, gasoline is more dangerous than crude oil. Since the ship was also carrying nurdles, tiny plastic pellets that took thousands of years to degrade, and more than 80 other toxic chemicals, the environmental impact of the major oil spill disaster like the Sri Lankan disaster worsened the environment. Nurdles flooded beaches and were detected in fish stomachs, causing severe ecological harm. The risk of bunker oil leaks will be minimized after the wreckage is removed from the water.

Both the Torrey Canyon and Amoco Cadiz oil-tanker disasters off the coast of Cornwall and Brittany, France, in 1967 and 1978, respectively, were among the most significant European oil-tanker spills (223,000 metric tonnes of crude oil and ship fuel were spill). As a result of these two accidents, shipping regulations and procedures for dealing with environmental catastrophes like oil spills have been altered. The 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska’s Prince William Sound was one of North America’s most significant environmental and economic disasters. Still, it was well behind the deadliest oil-tanker spills (37,000 metric tons).

Following the California oil disaster and the X-Press Pearl’s sinking off the Sri Lankan coast in July, heightened attention has been directed at environmental hazards, particularly the devastation they inflict on marine and coral life. 

What is The Best Way to Remove Oil off a Surface?

Clean-up crews can confine and skim oil spills if they get there quickly enough. Containment and skimming are made possible using mechanical tools like booms and skimmers. The spill can be contained by using physical obstacles like booms and skimmers and removing oil by specialized vessels.

It becomes more challenging to clean up after the oil reaches the coast or spreads out. To keep wildlife at bay in the case of an oil leak, floating dummies and balloons are typically deployed as a deterrent.

In the best-case scenario, just 40% of the oil from a spill can be mechanically cleaned up. However, no treatment can altogether remove oil. To ensure that the environment is recovered, it is necessary to increase the effectiveness of natural recovery.

What Are the Long-Term Effects on Marine and Animal Life of Oil Spills?

Oil spills can seriously harm wildlife in areas where these creatures are already present. When exposed to oil, the water-repellent qualities of mammal and bird fur and feathers are lost, and both species are at risk of hypothermia. Dolphins and whales’ immune systems and reproductive systems may be harmed if they inhale the oil. The oil in the ocean may lead to enlarged livers, the degeneration of fins, and an inability to procreate. Fish and shellfish are often no longer safe to eat, even if the impact on their health is not fatal. 

Once the injury has been discovered, natural mechanisms can be worked upon to speed up the healing process. Reintroducing affected species, controlling erosion, and limiting fishing and hunting are strategies to rehabilitate a territory that a spill has impacted.

Do Oil Spills Have a Financial Impact?

In a nutshell, yes. The long-term economic consequences of a spill are just as significant as the immediate cleanup expenditures. As in Sri Lanka, after the oil spill, tourism may drop, and fishing may be temporarily suspended while the area heals. It may take longer to receive economic and environmental damage compensation.

Conclusion

Oil spills, whether major or not, can leave a devastating impact on the environment, especially as 100% cleanup is not possible. The quick response and cordoning of the affected area play a major role in a better cleanup. There are environmental impacts that arise from oil spills and these take a long time to heal, or in some cases may not recover. The financial impact of the clean-up and possible penalties also would affect the company. Whereas those dependent on the sea for their livelihood would also be affected.