Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is an oil spill?
A: An oil spill is the accidental release of petroleum into the environment. Oil spills usually refer to the release of oils into the water, but they can also occur on land. While some oil spills can be sealed quickly, cleaning up the aftermath is always a long term project. The longer the oil sits in the water without cleaning up, the greater the impact is on the environment.

Q: How fast does the oil spread during a spill?
A: Oil can spread very rapidly unless it is contained by a boom or other methods. The lighter the oil, the faster the spread, meaning that gasoline would travel faster than heavier oils such as crude oil. However, once oil hits the water it can spread to only millimeters thick within hours.

Q: What type of oil causes the most harm?
A: Oils are all dangerous in different ways. Oil such as gasoline and diesel is refined oil and has smaller molecules compared to heavier oils such as crude oil; therefore, they evaporate and break down quicker. However, gasoline and diesel are extremely toxic and can kill organisms that inhale or absorb their fumes. On the other hand, crude oil and other heavy oils are less toxic, yet are thick and sticky which can smother and blanket wildlife. This prevents animals from being able to keep their normal body temperatures, as well as being able to sink.

Q: How do oil spills affect animal and plant life?
A: Oil spills can greatly affect plants and wildlife in all aspects. They have the ability to cause severe ecological risks, primarily for seabirds and mammals, resulting in substantial environmental disturbances and economic impacts on coastal activities, mainly fisheries. Once on the shoreline, oil turns into tar. There is suddenly no fresh drinking water and plants that once provided animals with food, are unable to produce nourishment and live. This results in the depleting of several fields, forests, and habitats. Oppositely, in the ocean the environment of all marine animals is slowly deteriorating, where the natural cycle of life is suddenly dying. The entire food chain is affected, springing conflict within all aspects of marine life.

Q: Where do most spills happen in the world?
A:
Gulf of Mexico—267 spills
Northeastern U.S.—140 spills
Mediterranean Sea—127 spills
Persian Gulf—108 spills

Q: How are spills cleaned up?
A: On the other hand, there are ways to fix, contain, or lessen the damage of oil spills. The factors of the type of oil, amount, and location of the spill all play into the decision of the spill’s treatment. There are four major methods of cleaning up oil spills: natural biodegradation, booms and absorption, dispersants, and biological agents.

Q: How much oil is spilled into the ocean annually?
A: Approximately 1.3 million gallons of oil are spilled into U.S. waters every year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Q: What was the biggest oil spill in history?
A: The Persian Gulf oil spill in 1991 is so far the biggest oil spill in history. During the Gulf War, as Iraqi troops retreated from Kuwait they opened all valves and pipelines which eventually poured 8 million BARRELS of oil.

Q: What malfunctions cause oil spills?
A: Oil spills are accidently caused by human activity such as well blowouts, pipeline breaks, ship collisions or groundings, overfilling of bilge pumps and gas tanks on ships and oil-contaminated water from water runoff in streets.

Q: What can we do to prevent oil spills?
A: Organizations and cleanup crews don’t want volunteers to come from around the states; they would rather have local citizens volunteer. On the other hand, there are things that one could do locally to help in the cleanup. By raising awareness and collecting materials that can be donated to the cause are all as effective as physically helping.