...Gulf Oil Spill Keith Niesen ENV/100 July 22, 2013 Nash Saleh Gulf Oil Spill In 2010 America had a major disasters on its hands the BP oil spill, not only did some people die from this spill, but the oil spill contaminated the Gulf of Mexico. This was a representation of bad technology it also revealed many environmental risks that many people rather ignore. The oil spill also sparked huge outrage as to why this happened and what we must do to prevent another disaster like this. How can we change the way we drill oil and not affect our precious ecosystems and ruin wildlife or are ocean. What is some of the new technology we are using to help with preventing another oil spill from happening? After the oil rig explosion many pollutants were introduced into the air and water. Many of these pollutants were smoke and or hydrocarbon fumes. The water pollutants was the oil and natural gas that was constantly gushing out of the well. The primary pollutants are the smoke and hydrocarbon because they are pollutants that are directly being emitted into the air from a source. There are many concerns with air pollution and scientist have found many chemicals such as alkyl nitrates, methane, hexane and butane compounds the can irritate and burn skin and the eyes and can cause dizziness as well. With all of these samples that have been collected they have not shown levels above government safety regulations (Roosevelt, 2013). Oil pollution we know is dangerous for the environment our ocean...
Words: 873 - Pages: 4
...Oil Spill Environmental Diaster Thursday, April 29, 2010. The massive oil spill off the gulf coast is an environmental disaster. Since it was an oil rig that blew, the oil is leaking from an underwater well, deep in the ocean. It has been hard to calculate how much oil continues to leak, but today it appears to be leaking at the rate of 5,000 barrels a day, not 1,000 as had been thought, and that the spill could reach the coast by Friday. And they don’t have a way to stop the leaking. This is different that the oil that leaked from a grounded ship over the coral reef in Australia this month. That was terrible due to the damage it did to the endangered (and supposedly protected) Great Barrier Reef. But the ship had a limited amount of oil. Since this is a well that is leaking, it seems as if the oil leak could go on and on until they find a way to cap the well. The oil slick is over 80 miles across. The coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida are preparing for the oil to reach the shore line by as early as Friday. The military has been asked to help, and the Coast Guard are trying to burn the oil in the sea before it comes to the shoreline. Whew! The money made by the oil production could be off set by the loss of income by tourism to these coastal areas. The tension that exists between protecting our environment and increasing our energy sources like oil, coal, and nuclear power, seems to be very problematic. I hope they figure out a way to control this leak....
Words: 293 - Pages: 2
...Environmental Implications: When oil is leaked, it adversely alters aquatic environments by physically harming mammals and damaging their habitat. Oil is a compound derived from hydrogen and carbon, however, the process in which the compound is formed, enables it to be toxic to plants and wildlife (Cartage, 2012). The accidental spillage of oil is damaging to subsurface and surface organisms through the physical damage that is done to their habitat. The severity of an oil spill is contingent on two factors; whether it is petroleum or non-petroleum based and the general magnitude of the spillage which is typically measured in barrels or U.S. gallons. Oil is destructive to aquatic ecosystems since it interferes with animal membranes, disrupts the regulation of water controlled by fishes and inhibits metabolic activity (Environment Canada, 2011). Typically, wildlife is affected by oil since it gets sticky over time through weathering. This sticky oil induces hypothermia as oil destroys the waterproofing and insulation of their feathers (Australian Maritime Safety Authority, 2012). The ways in which oil spills damage mammals and birds is threefold; through contamination and destruction of food resources. Animals can be affected by oil through inhalation and ingestion. Vapors inherent in oil will denigrate a mammal’s central nervous system, liver, lungs. Additionally, when the oil is ingested, it may unable birds and mammals to properly digest their food as intestinal tracts become...
Words: 1633 - Pages: 7
...Turtles and The Gulf Oil Spill On Tuesday, April 20th, 2010 an event occurred that would change marine life forever. On that horrifying day BP’s deep horizon oilrig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded. The spill was considered the 4th major oil spill in the Gulf in over 50 years. The oil spill affected a lot of marine life, but mostly affected the sea turtles. The sea turtles in the Gulf were greatly affected by this catastrophic event in many ways. Sea turtles have lived in the Gulf for over hundreds of years, and one of the major things that were affected by the spill was their breeding. Around this time every year the female turtles head shore to lay their eggs. Since the oilrig exploded, there is a lot of oil in the ocean where the turtles are swimming, there is oil on the beaches where the turtles are laying the eggs, and there is oil where the new hatchlings are going to be swimming. This is not good for the turtles because the oil is going to cause harm and death in most of these newborn sea turtles. Another reason the sea turtles were affected was that their habitats were ruined. Five out of the seven species of sea turtles live in the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf is home to a lot of sea life, including the turtles. Since the Gulf is covered in oil, the habitat that these turtles are living in, are not fit to live in. So now the turtles are confused and have nowhere to live. They need to relocate or they are going to die. The oil spill affected a lot of things...
Words: 610 - Pages: 3
... | |Gulf Oil Spill | |[The devastating Impact - Discussion] | | | | | |[The Gulf Oil Spill brought into notice the impact that these disasters can cause. We need to look at how and what brunt it brought with it | |and how can we help avoid such conditions to appear again.] | The Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill commenced on April 20, 2010 and continued for next 86 days. It was disastrous to the extent that it killed 11 men and led 17 people severely injured. The loss of crude oil is estimated to be 4.9 million barrels. This was controlled later but the devastating effect did not last. It has contributed to the deterioration of air and water through pollution. The oil evaporation happens to create very small particles called aerosols and...
Words: 895 - Pages: 4
...preventer (BOP) equipment, which allowed the release and subsequent ignition of hydrocarbons. Ultimately, the BOP emergency functions failed to seal the well after the initial explosions. We regret the impacts on the environment and livelihoods of those in the communities affected. We have and continue to put in place measures to help ensure it does not happen again. How we responded We have acted to take responsibility for the clean-up working under the direction of the federal government, to respond swiftly to compensate people affected by the impact of the accident, to look after the health, safety and welfare of the large number of residents and people who helped respond to the spill and to support the economic recovery of the Gulf Coast’s tourism and seafood industries impacted by the spill. We have conducted studies with federal and state natural resource trustees to identify and define the injury to natural resources in the Gulf of Mexico. As of 31 December 2012, we had spent more than $14 billion on our response activities. Throughout, we have sought to work closely with government, local residents, our shareholders, employees, the wider industry and the media. In addition, we have committed long-term funding for independent research to improve our knowledge of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem and better understand and...
Words: 326 - Pages: 2
...BP Oil Spill Introduction: On the evening of April 22nd, 2010, a gas released and subsequent explosion occurred on the deck of Transocean Deepwater oil rig that was on the Gulf of Mexico. Eleven were killed and many were injured during the thirty-six hours it burned while hydrocarbons leaked into the Gulf of Mexico before it was closed off and sealed. The oil slick was produced by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that covered almost 29,000 square miles. The disaster was quickly declared the largest oil spill in United States history. Not only was the ocean surface glazed with oil sheen, the impact on the marine ecosystem below the surface and onshore was devastating. Many concerns were raised about the environmental impact of chemicals known as dispersants that were used to dissipate the oil slick. Governmental agencies and others worked together to control the spill and minimize the impact that it would have on the environment and human health by containing it and cleaning up whatever came ashore. “Oil spills can affect water in a variety of ways it spreads out into a very thin layer across the surface which is called slick and it expands till it’s extremely thin”.(Bourne, 2010, p.2) The Deepwater Horizon oil spill wasn’t an unavoidable accident it was the results from negligence and avarice. The oil spill sparked heated debates regarding a variety of issues; the country’s dependence on fossil fuels, government regulations and which organization was more at fault. Key...
Words: 3002 - Pages: 13
...British multinational oil and gas company headquartered in London, England, United Kingdom incorporated on April 14, 1909, is an integrated oil and gas company. The company provides its customers with fuel for transportation, energy for heat and light, lubricants and the petrochemicals products used to make everyday items as diverse as paints, cloths and packaging. BP operates in two business segments: Exploration and Production, Refining and Marketing. It’s Exploration and Production segment is responsible for its activities in oil and natural gas exploration, field development and production; midstream transportation, storage and processing, and the marketing and trading of natural gas, including liquefied natural gas, together with power and natural gas liquids. Its Refining and Marketing segment is responsible for the refining, manufacturing, marketing, transportation, and supply and trading of crude oil, petroleum, petrochemicals products and related services to wholesale and retail customers. (Reuters, 2012). However, on April 20th, 2010 a deepwater oil rig exploded, causing a massive oil leak nearly a mile underwater off the coast of Louisiana. This leak produced and oil slick of more than 200 million gallons, affecting more than 4,000 miles of shoreline in eastern Mexico and five U.S Gulf Coast states: Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. More than 7,000 birds, sea turtles, dolphins and other marine life have found dead since the spill (Earth Justice, 2011)...
Words: 3092 - Pages: 13
...found papers that illustrated how crude oil has affected the exposed area where Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill was located. Impact of The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on Bioavailable Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons gave information on The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Which is the largest marine oil spill in United States history. It estimated the amount of oil spilled into the ocean the Federal government accepted estimate of 4.1 million barrels of oil and 7 million was supported by independent researchers. Furthermore, an estimated 2.1 million gallons of dispersants were applied at the ocean surface and the wellhead. This study demonstrated that the Deepwater Horizon oil spill impacted coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico and contributed to temporary increases in the bioavailable concentration of PAHs. Additionally, the data provide measures of potential exposures to PAHs in ecologically sensitive coastal areas, accessed by large human populations, which can be incorporated into ongoing studies in a variety of fields. Oil Impacts on Coastal Wetlands: Implications for the Mississippi River Delta Ecosystem after the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill summarized the general knowledge of oil spill impacts on coastal marshes. Relative to the chemistry of oil and its related toxicity; the capacity of microbial processes to degrade oil and reduce toxicity; the responses of wetland vegetation, benthic biota, and marsh-dependent fishery resources to oil; and impacts on ecosystem services on which...
Words: 1533 - Pages: 7
...1001-065 Final Issue Analysis Fall 2012 The BP Oil Spill On April 20, 2010, the Gulf of Mexico was changed forever. The explosion of a deepwater oil-drilling rig changed the lives of millions for years to come. The Gulf of Mexico as we knew it would be changed for decades to come after the mistakes made by the Deepwater Horizon’s crew that day. British Petroleum, the oil giant responsible for the disaster, left the American citizens of the Gulf Coastal region terrified and helpless. There were seventeen men injured in the explosion and eleven unaccounted for presumed dead, while hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil leaked into the Gulf of Mexico (BP Oil). The oil spill caused by the explosion may be recorded as one of the most catastrophic oil spills in history. This disaster served as a wake up call for the United States to seriously consider producing a well defined set of regulations for drilling in open waters. British Petroleum, although being originally founded in 1909, did not become one of the major competing oil companies until 1995 when John Browne became CEO of the company. Since this time BP has become a company that would violate laws involving regulation and cut numerous corners to create greater profit. When compared to Chevron and other oil companies, British Petroleum has been accused of 518 or more than two times as many safety violations than any other company. Also between the years 2000 and 2009 the amount of oil BP spilled into the Gulf of Mexico equated...
Words: 1834 - Pages: 8
...On April 20, 2010, a gas release and subsequent explosion occurred on BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. The explosion involved a loss of hydrostatic control of the well and failure of the blowout preventer equipment that allowed the release and ignition of hydrocarbon. The explosion claimed 11 lives and 205 million gallons of oil spilled into the surrounding ecosystems which made it the largest accidental oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry. In response to the crisis, BP created its “Gulf of Mexico Restoration” website as a form of crisis management to protect and repair its reputation. BP’s “Gulf of Mexico Restoration” website uses these three strategies to try to repair its reputation: highlighting current financial data and reports to show the accurate compensation contributions BP has given to the Gulf; displaying videos with images that de-emphasize the damage by focusing on restored areas and statistics showing how the Gulf has restored business continuity; and uses powerful headers and sub-headers titled to portray optimistic restoration objectives. To restore its reputation, BP's "Gulf of Mexico Restoration" website provides current financial data and reports that show the donations BP has given to the Gulf to prove its strong commitment to helping the affected areas. Effectively communicating its use of compensation as a reputation repair strategy, BP provides public data reports updated as of September 30, 2013 under the sub-heading...
Words: 1314 - Pages: 6
...On April 20, 2010 a gas release and explosion happened on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, famously known as the BP oil spill. It was the largest oil spill in the United States history, eleven people died from the spill and injured 17 others. From the spill there was about more than about 200 million gallons of crude oil that was pumped into the Gulf of Mexico. It happened for almost a total of 87 days, the oil spill started on April 20 until July 15. From underwater cameras it showed that the BP pipe was leaking oil and gas on the ocean floor about 42 miles off the coast of Louisiana. After hearing about the oil spill workers from BP and many government agencies tried to control the spread of the oil to beaches and other coastal ecosystems using floating booms to contain surface oil and chemical oil dispersants to break it down underwater. [pic]Over a period of those 87 days the wellhead leaked for about 3.19 million barrels. After the release of the oil it cause some floated to the ocean's surface to form oil slicks which expanded more quickly by being pushed by winds. The spill affected coasts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida adding up to total about 16,000 miles. Many investigations were started from the incident, the U.S government faulted BP and the rig operator. Due to many much of the spill coming in contact with wetlands and estuaries affecting many wildlife habitats and fishing and tourism. Being that Louisiana is mostly a tourist state, they...
Words: 1496 - Pages: 6
...BP OIL SPILL Under the Deepwater Horizon, an offshore drilling ring of British Petroleum (BP) caused an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The incident occurred on April 20th 2010, where equipment failed and caused the explosion sinking the ring, and causing the death of 11 workers and more than 17 workers injured. The British based energy company also faced other problems at the site of the oil spill. More than 40 million gallons (estimated data) of oil spewed into the Gulf of Mexico. Oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is a very serious threat for the wildlife as it causes water pollution. The oil spill effected many coastal areas in the US, like the Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida. The oil spill disaster strongly damaged wildlife cycle in the Gulf of Mexico, and many species were thrown into extinction. Similarly, thousands of businesses were thrown into extinction. Many people has questioned the ethical decisions and core value system that BP used to cut corners with the accident; namely, the race to maximize profits at all costs. We are all aware that one of the main causes that let to the disaster were the result of bad decisions, in which a less expensive option (whether to run a test or use a particular kind casing pipe, for example) would save lives. There has been “zero dollars spent on research concerning how to handle oil spills for off-shore drilling by BP despite the company's NET profits - above and beyond all salaries, bonuses, or overhead costs- of...
Words: 822 - Pages: 4
...American History have we seen the catastrophe that we've seen this year by the BP Oil Spill. The Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico is beyond heart breaking. The 1989, Exxon Valdez Oil Spill has been considered the most devastating, human-caused, environmental disaster ever to occur in history, especially towards the Nigerians, since they are still being affected by it. But, even though the Exxon Valdez happened years ago and Nigerians are still in tight situations due to the spill, I believe the BP Oil Spill is just a beginning of a major political conundrum, with lasting consequences similar to what the Nigerians people are experiencing. There are a lot of controversy regarding, who is going to take responsibility for the cleanup for both BP and the Valdez Oil Spill. Some people blame President Obama and some blame Bp for its spill. Blaming the company that is actually in charge of the operation does seem like a logical first step, not to mention, there were many safety warning signs that they ignored to give way to greed. But bear in mind, blaming a president for a disaster caused by a corporation is ridiculous in my opinion. If people are blaming Obama, I think it should be because he didn’t make and veto certain laws and kept an eye on certain factories, if he did, then probably the oil spill would have never happened in the first place. We cannot blame the Spill on Obama completely, but we can blame him for not watching out for problems...
Words: 847 - Pages: 4
...Since April of 2010, BP Oil Company has been working to repair the damages of an oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. According to Do Something, an environmental website, have reported the death and injury of 28, more than 8,000 animals dead within six months, and 16,000 miles of coastline pollution (11 Facts about the BP Oil Spill). Many accounts blame this catastrophe on BP’s neglect to properly build and maintain machinery. Several clean up workers and fisherman have been affected due to this oil spill (Reed 35). People living near the coast line has been affected due to polluted air and water. Many children had been sick and they had problem breathing fresh air. BP’s ways of “cutting corners” are a point of interest when considering the factors leading to the Deep-water Horizon Oil Spill. There were several issues with this oil spill: professional issues, ethics and new technology issues, legal, regulatory and political, safety issues, and environmental issues. If BP would have taken care of all these issues there had been no oil spill. According to the official federal report, BP’s management cut corners in many areas, especially during the installation of the drill. While drilling the drill pipe got stuck and the engineering had to redesign the parameters but completely cut corners to drill the fastest way possible, which was the start of BP’s problems. Events leading up to the Deepwater Horizon incident led one to question the values and motives of the British Petroleum...
Words: 1730 - Pages: 7
