Combating Oil Pollution: Strategies For A Sustainable Future

Oil pollution is a devastating yet preventable form of pollution. Oil spills are extremely harmful to people, plants, and wildlife, as they destroy local ecosystems, poison and suffocate animals, and lower the oxygen levels and quality of water. The financial impact of oil spills is also significant, as clean-up operations are expensive and the long-term impact on industries such as tourism and fishing can be detrimental. To reduce oil pollution, it is essential to focus on prevention and preparedness, as well as effective response strategies. This includes implementing safety measures, such as regular inspections and training, and having spill response plans in place. Governments, industries, and individuals all play a role in reducing oil pollution by taking proactive measures to prevent spills and minimise their impact on the environment and communities.

Prevent oil spills during refuelling

Oil pollution is one of the most devastating forms of pollution, with oil spills causing long-lasting damage to the environment and wildlife. Oil spills during refuelling are a common occurrence, and there are several measures that can be taken to prevent them. Here are some ways to prevent oil spills during refuelling:

Before the refuelling process begins, it is crucial to determine the amount of oil to be transferred and the specific tanks into which the oil will be pumped. The engineer in charge should ensure that any necessary oil transfers are completed beforehand, as mixing old and new oil can be dangerous if they are incompatible. A meeting should be held to discuss the details of the operation, assign responsibilities, and outline the procedure for any potential emergencies. It is also essential to check that all equipment is in good working order, including hoses, manifolds, and valves, and to confirm that the overflow tank is empty.

During the refuelling process, it is important to monitor the fluid pressure to prevent overflow and tanker breakouts. Keeping the pressure low initially helps ensure that the oil is directed to the correct tank. Once confirmed, the pressure can be increased, but it should be decreased again when the tank is about 90% full. Filling one tank at a time is a good practice, and regularly checking the tank's capacity can help avoid overflow.

After refuelling, the hose connection should only be removed after confirming that the pump has been switched off. By following these procedures and maintaining effective communication between the crew, oil spills during refuelling can be significantly reduced.

Improve oil spill preparedness

Oil spills are extremely harmful and can have long-lasting effects on the environment, economy, and public health. Oil spill preparedness is key to reducing the impact of oil pollution.

One way to improve preparedness is to have a comprehensive response plan in place. This includes identifying the potential sources of spills, developing strategies to contain and clean up spills, and ensuring that the necessary equipment and resources are readily available. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has regulatory programs to help facilities prepare for oil spills, including the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) rule and the Facility Response Plan (FRP) rule. The SPCC rule provides a framework for containing oil discharges, while the FRP rule requires facilities to prepare and submit a response plan for worst-case scenarios.

Regular inspections of vessels, facilities, and transfer operations are crucial for oil spill preparedness. This includes inspecting oil storage tanks, pipelines, and refineries to identify any potential risks or weaknesses. Additionally, providing technical outreach, design standards, and rules for oil storage, transfer, and containment facilities can help ensure that industry best practices are being followed.

Another aspect of preparedness is investing in training and worker safety programs. Educating workers on oil spill prevention, response, and proper use of protective equipment is essential. OSHA mandates that workers involved in cleanup should receive training on site hazards and general oil spill hazards before commencing cleanup operations.

Finally, having the right equipment on hand is vital for effective oil spill preparedness. This includes spill kits, sorbent pads, granular oil sorbents, and personal protective equipment (PPE) such as oil-resistant gloves, full-body coveralls, and properly fit-tested respirators. By investing in the necessary equipment and resources, organizations can improve their readiness and responsiveness to oil spills.

Understand how to manage damage from oil spills

The key to managing damage from oil spills is to act quickly and be well-prepared. Oil spills can have devastating and long-lasting effects on the environment and ecosystems, so it is crucial to respond rapidly and effectively. Here are some ways to manage the damage caused by oil spills:

• Containment and Skimming: This method involves using mechanical means such as booms and skimmers to contain and remove oil from the surface of the water. Booms are long, floating, physical barriers that prevent the spread of oil, while skimmers are modified boats that skim the oil off the water's surface. This approach is most effective when the clean-up crew can reach the spill site within a few hours.
• Shoreline Flushing/Washing: Water hoses can be used to rinse oil from the shoreline into the water, where it can be more easily collected or removed.
• Vacuums: Industrial-sized vacuum trucks can be used to suction oil from the shoreline or the water surface.
• Sorbents: Specialized absorbent materials, similar to sponges, can be used to absorb and remove oil without absorbing water.
• Shoreline Cleaners and Biodegradation Agents: Chemical cleaners can be used to remove oil from the shoreline, but special permission may be required. Additionally, nutrients can be added to enhance the ability of microbes to break down the oil naturally.
• Burning: Also known as "in situ burning," this method involves setting fire to freshly spilled oil, typically while it is still floating on the water surface. This technique is used to effectively remove large amounts of oil.
• Manual and Mechanical Removal: In some cases, cleanup crews may use shovels or other hand tools to manually remove oil from the shoreline, especially in areas where heavy machinery cannot access. When access is possible, backhoes or front-end loaders may be utilized for mechanical removal.
• Dispersal: Chemicals can be applied to the surface of an oil spill to break down the oil into small droplets, facilitating its removal from the water.
• Restoration: Understanding the extent of the damage caused by the oil spill is crucial before beginning the restoration process. This involves conducting ecological, biological, and chemical studies and analyses. Restoration efforts may include reintroduction of affected species, erosion control, and changes in management practices, such as controlling fishing and hunting in the impacted areas.

It is important to note that no single solution can completely remove oil from the environment. Even with the best management practices, only about 40% of the oil from a spill can be cleaned up by mechanical means. Therefore, it is essential to prioritize prevention and preparedness to reduce the occurrence and impact of oil spills.

Reduce the impact on marine life

Oil spills can have a devastating impact on marine life, but there are ways to reduce this impact and limit the damage to the environment and ecosystems. Here are some ways to reduce the impact on marine life in the event of an oil spill:

Containment and Diversion

One of the primary objectives in open-water marine spills is to prevent the spill from reaching the shore. This can be done using booms, which are floating physical barriers that contain or divert the spilled oil. However, booms are ineffective in high winds or waves and require calm weather to provide adequate containment. Dispersants, which are chemical agents similar to soaps and detergents, can also be used to break up oil slicks into very small droplets, which then dilute throughout the water. While this doesn't remove the oil, it makes it easier for the oil to biodegrade and protects sensitive habitats from surface slicks.

Skimming and Burning

Once the oil is contained, it can be recovered using skimmers, which are modified boats that skim the oil off the top of the water. In some cases, the oil may be burned off, but this is usually a last resort due to the potential environmental impact.

Sorbents

Sorbents are used for small-volume spills or as a final "polish" after other response options have been exhausted. They work by absorbing the oil, but they are not effective for large spills.

Wildlife Protection and Relocation

When oil gets close to the shoreline, manual clean-up campaigns are often deployed, and wildlife is deterred from the impacted area using floating dummies and balloons. This is crucial, as oil can destroy the insulating ability of fur on mammals and impact the water-repelling qualities of a bird's feathers, leading to hypothermia and death.

Natural Recovery and Restoration

Even with mechanical clean-up methods, only about 40% of the oil from a spill can be removed. Therefore, enhancing natural recovery processes is essential to restoring the environment. This includes reintroduction of affected species, erosion control, and changes to management practices, such as controlling fishing and hunting in impacted areas.

By implementing these strategies, the impact of oil spills on marine life can be reduced, and the environment can be given a chance to recover.

Implement oil spill response training

Oil spills are extremely harmful to the environment, people, plants, and wildlife. They are also expensive to clean up, and can cause long-lasting damage to the local ecosystem. Oil spill response training is therefore crucial to ensure that, in the event of a spill, the damage is minimised.

The US Department of the Interior offers an Inland Oil Spill Response course, which is recommended for staff who may participate in spill/release responses. The course covers response procedures for inland and freshwater environments, with a focus on planning for an emergency response and coordinating a multi-agency response within the Incident Command System, led by the EPA. This course is targeted at personnel whose responsibilities include overseeing, planning, or participating in an inland oil spill response.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) also provides training for marine oil spill response workers, under its Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard. This training is designed to protect workers involved in hazardous substance emergency response and cleanup operations. The type and level of training provided depend on the worker's proximity to the spill and their role in stopping, containing, or recovering the spilled material. For example, workers who control a spill early in an incident require more training than those who simply warn others about it.

OSHA outlines several training requirements and topics, including:

• Basic hazard and risk assessment techniques
• How to select and use proper personal protective equipment
• How to perform basic control, containment, and/or confinement operations
• How to implement basic decontamination procedures
• Understanding the relevant standard operating and termination procedures
• Understanding the hazards of oil and the risks associated with a spill
• Recognising the presence of oil or related hazardous materials in an emergency
• Understanding individual roles in the employer's emergency response plan

OSHA also provides guidance on training requirements for post-emergency response cleanup operations, which differ from those for emergency response workers.

In addition to government-provided training, there are also private companies that offer oil spill response training courses. These courses can provide valuable knowledge and skills to individuals and organisations who may be involved in oil spill response efforts.

Frequently asked questions