Tag: oil spill

  Five years after the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history, communities along the Gulf of Mexico continue to struggle with the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, according to University of Florida researchers engaged in a series of projects funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. And while most of the nation's attention continues to focus on the environmental and financial toll of the spill that killed 11 workers and flooded Gulf waters with millions of gallons of oil, the less obvious consequences, including those related to public health, may prove the most long-lasting, researchers say. "The individuals in these communities know how to deal with natural disasters such as hurricanes, but the oil spill forced them to face something they didn't understand," said J. Glenn Morris Jr., director of UF's Emerging Pathogens Institute and lead investigator of the study. "In terms of long-term effects, it's always the monster you don't know that's the most unsettling." Morris and his team studied levels of anger, anxiety and depression at various points over the past five years in residents of Franklin County, Fla., and Baldwin County, Ala. The researchers observed that while 10 percent to 13 percent of ...

  The Government of Canada issued a statement by Jody Thomas, Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard regarding the Marathassa oil spill as follows: "The Canadian Coast Guard was notified by municipal emergency services on April 8 at 5:10 p.m. that they received a report from a recreational boater of pollution in Vancouver Harbour with a slick around the bulk carrier Marathassa. In instances of ship-source or mystery spills, the Canadian Coast Guard leads the coordination of the environmental response. By 5:14 p.m., the Canadian Coast Guard informed emergency management partners of the incident in accordance with recognized protocols, which inform local, shore-side authorities such as municipal governments and First Nations. At 6:08 p.m., the Canadian Coast Guard had given advanced notice to Western Canada Marine Response Corporation (WCMRC) to stand-by for a potential response, consistent with established practices. WCMRC was officially activated at 8:06 p.m. and their crews arrived on scene at 9:25 p.m. with multiple vessels. At 5:38 p.m., a harbour vessel for the Port of Vancouver had confirmed an unrecoverable minimum sheen was in the Bay, but the Canadian Coast Guard performed its own assessment over the next hour and determined the spill was more serious. All through ...

  The Seafarers’ International Union of Canada (SIU), in conjunction with the Canadian Maritime & Supply Chain Coalition (CMSCC), representing the majority of Seafarers & Maritime Logistics Unions across Canada, is calling on the Government of Canada to reverse the Maritime provisions outlined in the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). They are calling on the Canadian Government to strengthen Canada’s Cabotage laws in order prevent another environmental catastrophe like Vancouver's oil spill this week. Within CETA’s Maritime provisions, exploited and overworked foreign crew, unfamiliar with Canada’s fragile ecosystem, would be allowed to operate between two Canadian Ports, trade previously reserved for Canadian flagged and crewed vessels. This week’s spill was from the vessel MARATHASSA, a bulk carrier sailing under the Cyprus flag with foreign crew manning the vessel. Precisely the kind of vessel CETA would allow into trade in Canada permanently. “The SIU of Canada is outraged that the Conservative Government is risking the St. Lawrence River’s and Great Lakes’ fragile ecosystem in the name of trade,” said James Given, President, Seafarers’ International Union of Canada and Chair of the CMSCC. “The SIU has long advocated that it would only take one accident to cause irreversible damage to the ...

  The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) is responding to an collision on the lower Mississippi River near Convent, Louisiana, Monday, 6 April. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received report at approximately 4:00 p.m., the motor vessel Privocean, a 751 foot bulk carrier, broke free from its mooring and drifted down river and collided with the 98 foot towing vessel Texas which was moored at the time. The crew of the Texas taken to hospital for medical evaluation but no injuries were reported at this time. The Privocean continued to drift down river and also collided with the motor vessel Bravo, an 816 foot tank ship, which was off loading crude oil at the time of the incident. The Bravo was able to complete emergency shutdown procedures before breaking free of her moorings and connection points, causing an oil spill. The Privocean was able to get underway and anchor at mile marker 162. The Bravo is half a mile down the river from its original position and is anchored with a two tug escort. All vessels are being actively being monitored by the U.S. Coast Guard response teams. The Mississippi River is closed from mile marker 163 to mile ...

Filming has begun on ITOPF's new production "Oil Spills in Ice Covered Waters". This film will consider the strategies employed to deal with spills in some of the most challenging conditions on the planet. ITOPF and the production team travelled north of the Arctic Circle to Svalbard and to Lulea in Northern Sweden in January and February to film in the harsh climate and remote locations that can pose special challenges for spill response. In the Arctic, as well as other icy waters, clean-up techniques that work elsewhere need to be modified to ensure that they are effective. This film will review the response strategies available, and the factors that need to be taken into account in implementing them. We will feature the scientists at the forefront of research into the fate and behaviour of oil in ice and the refinement of methods used to minimise impacts. The film will also show ITOPF staff as they train in preparation for operating in harsh Arctic conditions. The film is scheduled for release in Spring 2016, but in the meantime, view a trailer. The 2 minute clip gives a flavour of what will be a visual treat as well as a succinct ...

Nobody has ever been able to calculate the amount of oil trapped in wrecks beneath the sea but we know it is there. This is because every so often a slick of raw crude or more refined bunker fuel appears on the ocean’s surface and drifts ashore where it smothers beaches and wildlife. Now, for the first time, a piece of practical technology has been developed at the design hot shop of Miko Marine in Norway that provides a fast and economically deployed tool with the ability to prevent pollution by enabling trapped oil to be recovered before it has a chance to escape and cause damage. Whenever a ship sinks it takes its pollutants with it. Unless they have been liberated by the damage caused by the collision or the grounding, its fuel or its cargo will remain secure within the ship’s tanks. The cargo might be crude oil or any of the hundreds of different liquids transported by sea. Petrochemicals, palm oil even orange juice can find a resting place on the seabed where it is hoped that they will remain. Unfortunately rusted tanks or movement of the wreck can release the trapped liquid at any time. Many ...

According to UK’s Maritime Coastguard Agency (UK MCA), there has been a release of diesel oil from the ‘Lysblink Seaway,’ which remains aground at Kilchoan, off Scotland. Following discussions between the Secretary of State’s representative (SOSREP) Hugh Shaw and Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s Counter-Pollution, an absorbent boom has been put in to cope with the oil leak from the starboard side of the vessel. Weather conditions have moderated slightly this morning making it easier to use equipment. Briggs Marine vessels ‘Forth Jouster’ and ‘Kingdom of Fife’ are on scene and are supporting the salvage operation. A team from Svitzer Salvage is currently on board the vessel conducting a detailed damage assessment. Initial findings and salvage options will be reported to the SOSREP and the wider Salvage Control Unit, later this afternoon. A temporary exclusion zone of 100 metres has been established around the vessel. You can also read the following related article: General cargo vessel runs aground off Scotland   Source: MCA Press OfficeIn the start, I was frank 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.

When oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill first began washing ashore on Pensacola Municipal Beach in June 2010, populations of sensitive microorganisms, including those that capture sunlight or fix nitrogen from the air, began to decline. At the same time, organisms able to digest light components of the oil began to multiply, starting the process of converting the pollutant to carbon dioxide and biomass. Once the lightest fractions of the oil had been consumed, the organisms that had been digesting those compounds declined, replaced by others able to chew up the remaining heavier materials. Ultimately, a year after the spill, the oil had mostly disappeared and microbial populations buried in the beach sands looked much like they had before the spill, though there were as-yet unexplained differences. That's the scenario observed by scientists who have studied the oil's impact on the complex microbial communities - which contain hundreds of single-celled organisms - on this one Gulf Coast beach. Using advanced genomic identification techniques, they saw a succession of organisms and identified population changes in specific organisms that marked the progress of the bioremediation. They also identified the specific genes contained in the oil-eating microbes and the enzymes they used at ...

Assessments conducted throughout Wednesday, 11 February,  continue to show no impact to the shoreline or wildlife, and no impact to the Martinez Marina or nearby marsh. Resources and personnel have been deployed to the affected area as a precaution to guard against any potential impact. Resources include absorbent boom, skimmers and a helicopter for aerial assessments, as needed.  Residents may continue to notice extra activity at the wharf and the Carquinez Strait area throughout the evening as cleanup operations are conducted. "We are pleased with the progress and response to the release, both in the initial actions from Shell and the joint-agency cleanup and recovery activities," said Lt. Cmdr. Rhianna Macon, Coast Guard Sector San Francisco, Deputy Incident Commander, Unified Command. "As always, we would like to thank our outstanding emergency response personnel for their great cooperation and their immediate actions to stop this release and contain the spill." At approximately 4 p.m. Tuesday Shell personnel reported a leak from a crude oil line at the Shell Martinez Wharf and confirmed the leak was stopped within 30 minutes. Shell personnel estimated the leak to be approximately two barrels of oil (approximately 84 gallons), and two issues related to the pipeline ...