[seadog] Sources of Oil Pollution
- From: "Tom Blanchard" <tomblanchard@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "SEADOG" <seadog@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 7 Feb 2003 12:07:17 -0500
...just some general info for oil transporting professionals.
Most oil polluting the oceans comes from runoff, rivers, small boats, not
tanker spills
By Randolph E. Schmid, Associated Press
WASHINGTON ? Leaking oil tankers produce dramatic photos, but a new study
says the vast majority of the human-related petroleum released into U.S.
coastal waters comes from consumers, not the ships that carry the oil.
The National Research Council reported Thursday that about 29 million
gallons of oil enters the oceans around North America each year as a result
of human activities. Of that, the largest share, 15.6 million gallons, comes
from rivers and runoff, largely from such things as street runoff,
industrial waste, municipal wastewater, and wastewater from refineries.
In addition, 1.6 million gallons of the pollution comes from recreational
vessels, where two-stroke engines that mix oil and gas are often used in
personal watercraft and as outboard engines.
"Oil spills can have long-lasting and devastating effects on the ocean
environment, but we need to know more about damage caused by petroleum from
land-based sources and small watercraft," commented James M. Coleman of
Louisiana State University, chairman of the committee that prepared the
study.
The heavily populated coastline from Maine to Virginia accounts for more
than half of the land-based oil pollution in U.S. waters, with another 20
percent in the Gulf of Mexico.
The report urged that federal officials work with state agencies to better
monitor oil discharges and suggested that the Environmental Protection
Agency work to phase out two-stroke engines.
Another significant source of pollution was "atmospheric deposition," that
is oil that is deposited on the ocean surface as a result of emissions into
the air from motor vehicles, power generating facilities, industrial plants,
and similar sources. That was estimated to total 6.1 million gallons.
Spills from tankers accounted for 1.5 million gallons of pollution, and
551,000 gallons came from pipeline spills, the report found. "This doesn't
mean we can ignore hazards from drilling and shipping, however. Although new
safety standards and advances in technology reduced the amount of oil that
spilled during extraction and transport during the last two decades, the
potential is still there for a large spill, especially in regions with lax
safety controls," added Coleman.
The single largest source of oil in the oceans bordering North America is
natural seeps from undersea oil sources, releasing an estimated 46.4 million
gallons annually.
Worldwide, vessel and pipeline spills were blamed for release of 32.5
million gallons annually into the oceans. Runoff adds another 41 million
gallons, and international operational discharges from vessels, such as from
cargo washing, was listed as producing an added 78 million gallons of
pollution. Such discharges are illegal in North American waters.
The National Research Council is an arm of the National Academy of Sciences,
a private organization chartered by Congress to advise the government on
scientific matters.
Copyright 2002, Associated Press
All Rights Reserved
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