Oil Disasters Continue to Impact the Environment

By Matthew Jorn

March 18th, 1967 marked the world's first major commercial oil spill. The oil tanker Torrey Canyon spilled 119,000 tons of oil into the ocean due to the negligence of the captain; instead of going the normal route he decided to take a short cut to save him time. This one incident killed about 15,000 sea birds and massive numbers of marine animals. More damage was caused by the ignorance of people who poured toxic chemicals into the ocean to break up the oil.

Forty-three years later tons of oil are still being spilled into the ocean. The effects it is having on the environment are devastating and much of the world seems to have little or no sympathy until it directly affects them.

The worlds' biggest oil spill came during the aftermath of the first Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm). As coalition forced advanced on Baghdad, the retreating Iraqi soldiers spilled over 460 millions gallons of oil into the Persian Gulf. Iraqi forces opened valves at the Sea Island terminal in a failed attempt to prevent US Marines from landing. They also damaged tankers and an oil refinery in the Persian Gulf. This spill spread as far as the north coast of Saudi Arabia and endangered the intertidal zones and the mangrove forests. Nearly two decades later the marsh lands of Saudi Arabia are still trying to recover. Only a few live plants survive in the heavily oiled marsh lands today.

Exxon Valdez was one of the most devastating human-caused environmental disasters ever to occur. The Valdez oil spill is not considered one of the largest but the effects on the region where it happened make it one of the most significant. The ship spilled 11 million gallons into the Prince William Sound; the captain of the ship got permission to go through the inbound lane because the outbound shipping lane was covered with icebergs. Exxon Valdez ended up striking Bligh Reef. Thousands of animals died immediately. Estimates totaling 250,000 seabirds, 2,800 sea otters, 300 harbor seals, 247 bald eagles, 22 orcas and billions of salmon and herring eggs. Many plankton and microbial populations were effected as well which is the basis of the marine food chain. It is estimated that it will take up to 30 years for the Arctic habitat to recover.

The most recent oil spill happened on April 20th, 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico. Deepwater Horizon, an offshore drilling rig, had an explosion which caused it to sink off the coast of Louisiana. Oil is still pouring into the ocean and only the smallest of the three leaks have been capped to date. The estimates put the spill rate at 16,000-33,000 barrels a day. The outcome of this disaster is still unknown.

There are preventative actions oil companies can take. Double hulling can reduce the risk and severity of a spill up to 60%. In 2015 it will be a law for all oil tankers to have double hulls. Offshore oil platforms will also be completely re-evaluated based on the outcome of the investigation into the Deepwater Horizon incident. It appears clear that oil companies will be held to much stricter regulations in the future as we realize the long-term damage of our collective carelessness when it comes to harvesting oil in, on, and around the Earth's oceans.

Matthew Jorn is a writer from the state of Florida whose interests range from sports, cars, and fishing to art, music, and renaissance literature. He splits his time between coastal and inland areas of Florida researching his next book. He can be reached at mjorn@me.com

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