Tag: oil spill

 The US Department of Justice announced a settlement to resolve civil claims against BP arising from the April 20, 2010 Macondo well blowout and the massive oil spill that followed in the Gulf of Mexico.This global settlement resolves the governments’ civil claims under the Clean Water Act and natural resources damage claims under the Oil Pollution Act, as well as economic damage claims of the five Gulf states and local governments.  Taken together this global resolution of civil claims is worth $20.8 billion, and is the largest settlement with a single entity in the department’s history.Also, the Deepwater Horizon Trustees Council, made up of representatives of the five Gulf states and four federal agencies, has published a draft damage assessment and restoration plan and a draft environmental impact statement.  The plan includes a comprehensive assessment of natural resource injuries resulting from the oil spill and provides a detailed framework for how the trustees will use the natural resource damage recoveries from BP to restore the Gulf environment.“Building on prior actions against BP and its subsidiaries by the Department of Justice, this historic resolution is a strong and fitting response to the worst environmental disaster in American history,” said Attorney General Loretta Lynch. “BP is receiving ...

 Transport Malta is coordinating the clean-up operation of an oil spill that was reported at the Malta Freeport Terminal, Marsaxlokk. The basin of terminal 1 and 2 was boomed to ensure that no oil drifts to the public beaches and remains contained within the segregated area. Transport Malta personnel were on site early this morning to coordinate operations and to ensure that all action is taken to minimise impact to third parties. From initial investigations, the spill occurred when a hose failed during a bunkering operation. Action was taken by the bunker operator to boom the vessels and contain the spill. Some heavy oil ended up on board the bunker barge and some drifted into the inner side of the basin where some vessels have been affected. Port Inspectors are currently on site to monitor the cleanup operation which is being undertaken by the bunker operator. Shipping traffic at the Freeport Terminals is presently suspended until the port is deemed safe for navigation and that no oil is spread further within the area.Source: Transport Malta / Image Credit: Malta FreeportIn the outbreak, I was frank with you propecia before and after has changed my subsistence. It has become much more fun, and now I have ...

 For 25 years, methodical research by scientists has investigated the effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989 on Alaskan communities and ecosystems. A new study regarding the effects of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska shows that embryonic salmon and herring exposed to very low levels of crude oil can develop hidden heart defects that compromise their later survival, indicating that the spill may have had much greater impacts on spawning fish than previously recognized.The herring population crashed four years after the spill in Prince William Sound and pink salmon stocks also declined, but the link to the oil spill has remained controversial. The new findings published in the online journal Scientific Reports suggest that the delayed effects of the spill may have been important contributors to the declines."These juvenile fish on the outside look completely normal, but their hearts are not functioning properly and that translates directly into reduced swimming ability and reduced survival," said John Incardona, a research toxicologist at NOAA Fisheries' Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle."In terms of impacts to shore-spawning fish, the oil spill likely had a much bigger footprint than anyone realized."The research builds on earlier work by the Auke Bay ...

 The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) is responding to a towboat collision on the Mississippi River near Paducah, Ky.,Wednesday, September 2.On-scene assessment teams have reported the maximum estimated potential clarified slurry oil released from the tug collision is now 250,000 gallons.The maximum potential spill has been reduced because the two remaining partitions aboard the affected barge were reportedly secured.A USCG HC-144 Ocean Sentry fixed wing aircraft conducted an over flight earlier today, which revealed a five-mile discoloration beginning at the impact site.A safety zone is in place on the Mississippi River, and currently closed to all traffic except response vessels between mile markers 939-922. A queue is in place, six up bound and nine down bound.USCG Sector Ohio Valley watchstanders received a call about a collision between two towboats at mile marker 937 at 8:22 p.m. Wednesday.The USCG is working with the barge owner and SWS, an oil spill response organization, to determine the amount of slurry oil that has been discharged.The cause of the collision is currently under investigation.Source: USCG NewsIn the origin, I was straightforward with you propecia before and after has changed my existence. It has become much more fun, and now I have to run. Just as it is incredible to sit.

 The Unified Command responding to the sunken vessel Pacific Venture in Sitka reported that Global Diving & Salvage has been retained to perform a controlled removal of oil product and hazardous waste from the vessel.   The motor vessel Seamount has been hired to serve as a dive platform for the product recovery effort.  Additional support has come from Sitka Tribe of Alaska and Silver Bay Seafoods. The U.S. Coast Guard and SEAPRO are actively monitoring the oil boom surrounding the vessel.  No reports of injuries or oiled fish or wildlife have been received.   Additional containment boom has been prepositioned at Indian River as a precautionary measure. “Work will continue in the area through the weekend, and mariners are reminded to observe any issued Notice to Mariners,” said Chief Warrant Officer Mike Wortman, Federal On Scene Coordinator Representative.  “Any vessels passing by the scene in the eastern channel of Sitka Sound are reminded to go slow and minimize their wake.”Source: USCG NewsIn the onset, I was forthright with you propecia before and after has changed my subsistence. It has become much more fun, and now I have to run. Just as it is incredible to sit.

The Gard P&I Club has issued an article regarding a significant settlement between Matson Navigation and the State of Hawaii following the discharge of molasses draws attention to pollution casualties resulting from sources other than persistent oil.Although this incident was a spill/leakage from a pipeline, molasses is also carried on board ships. This interesting case highlights a number of points to be kept in mind by ship owners and operators trading molasses to/from the US.If any of the cargo was spilled from a ship, it could have a similar environmental impact, therefore the following should be kept in mind by ship owners and operators:The significant settlement sum illustrates that the size of fines, costs and expenses for pollution events continue to rise in the US. In addition to civil liabilities, fines and response costs can be assessed by both federal and state authorities.Pollution events are not limited to those outlined in OPA 90 and can include application of CERCLA, The Clean Water act and pertinent state lawsNon-petroleum spills offer different clean-up challenges that can be more complicated and costly to resolve than an oil spill.Best practice is to immediately report a potential pollution event.Planning for response to spills of all ...

 In light of the Refugio Oil Spill which occurred on 19 May 2015 in the Santa Barbara county of California, Senate Bill 788 was passed in order to address the danger and destruction caused by dirty oil in such pristine areas. The oil spill was caused by a broken pipeline which leaked an estimate of 101,000 gallons of oil into the environment. Out of the 101,000 gallons of oil discharged, approximately 21,000 gallons of oil managed to reach the Pacific Ocean. The Refugio Oil Spill is a reminder of a previous incident which occurred in Santa Barbara on 28 January 1969. More than three million gallons of oil were discharged into the environment due to a well blowout during drilling from an offshore oil platform.California’s Senate Bill 788 is an act, which if accepted, would abolish section 6244 of the Public Resources Code, relating to coastal resources. The bill has passed California’s state senate and is now heading to the Assembly. Section 6244 of the Public Resources Code currently reads:“The Commission may enter into any lease for the extraction of oil or gas from state-owned tide and submerged lands in the California Coastal Sanctuary if the commission determines that those ...

  U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) crews are continuing to monitor oil recovery operations in the water near the International-Matex Tank Terminal (IMTT) Bayonne, New Jersey. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector New York received notification at approximately 10 p.m. Saturday from IMTT crewmembers of an oil spill as a result of an allision between a tug and a fuel terminal pier. The Coast Guard immediately launched members from the Sector New York Pollution Response Team to investigate. A Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, New Jersey, also responded. At this time, it is estimated that less than 1,000 gallons of oil entered the water and contracted crews are in the process of recovering the product. Coast Guard pollution responders and IMTT crewmembers launched more than 2,500 feet of containment boom and secured the source of the oil. Coast Guard, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation crews continue to patrol by vehicle, watercraft and aircraft to ensure no oil has made it out of the containment boom area. No wildlife has been affected as a result of the oil at this time. Coast Guard crews will continue to monitor the oil spill and assist ...

  U.S. shipping company Matson, Inc. has agreed to pay up to USD 15.4 million as compensation for the 2013 molasses spill in Honolulu Harbour, Hawaii's attorney general said Wednesday, CNBC reports. Attorney General Dough Chin called the settlement with Hawaii-based Matson Navigation Co. one of the largest for an environmental violation in Hawaii's history. The settlement includes a combination of cash, restoration efforts and funding for environmental programs, he said. Matson is also agreeing to cease its molasses operation in Hawaii and pay for removal of its molasses tanks and any remaining molasses, Chin said. The company will pay $5.9 million to the state, and the costs related to ending the molasses operation are estimated between $5.5 million and $9.5 million, which would put the total settlement amount between $11.4 million and $15.4 million, Matson Inc. said in a statement. The $5.9 million paid to Hawaii includes money to help replace coral that had been damaged or destroyed. It will also reimburse the state for cleanup efforts and other costs.   Read what international media report: ABC: Matson to End Hawaii Molasses Operation, Pay $15.4 Million Reuters: Shipping company Matson to pay Hawaii $15 million over molasses spillIn the origin, I was ...

  ConocoPhillips and CNOOC face public interest litigation for the 2011 oil spill in Bohai Bai, China Daily reports. A landmark lawsuit has been filed against two oil giants in a maritime court over the oil spill in 2011 that polluted a huge area of Bohai Bay in Northeast China. The suit, filed against ConocoPhillips and China National Offshore Oil Corp, is the first public interest litigation brought by a nonprofit organization over marine environmental pollution to be accepted by a court. Such a move was not possible until a new environmental protection law took effect on Jan 1. The China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation said it had been told by the maritime court in Qingdao, Shandong province, that the suit had been filed. The law allows any environmental organization registered with a civil affairs bureau at city level or above and that has been operating for at least five years to bring public interest litigation. Under a damage compensation agreement, ConocoPhillips China offered 1.09 billion yuan for ecological losses, while CNOOC paid 480 million yuan and ConocoPhillips China 113 million yuan for environmental protection efforts in Bohai Bay. Source: China DailyIn the outbreak, I was explicit with you propecia before ...