This paper examines the widespread environmental and economic consequences of oil spills, arguing that stronger prevention protocols are essential. It reviews the counterarguments advanced by oil companies and tanker organizations, then evaluates the short- and long-term biological impacts on wildlife, aquatic ecosystems, and coastal communities. The paper draws on case studies including the Exxon Valdez disaster and spills along the Strait of Malacca to illustrate how birds, marine organisms, and fishing communities suffer lasting harm. It also surveys the roles of the EPA, Greenpeace, and other advocacy groups, and closes by calling for collaborative action between environmental agencies and the oil transport industry to reduce future spill risk.
Environmental oil spills are among the most hazardous and preventable accidents that occur in modern society. Though a number of agencies support the ongoing transport of oil via major waterways, such transport frequently leads to devastating consequences. It is important that stringent protocols be established for the safe transport of oil across waterways, and that environmental protection agencies work in collaboration with tanking and shipping organizations to ensure that every available measure is adopted to protect the environment from the harmful effects of oil spills.
To understand the serious impact and negative consequences of an oil spill, one must first examine the counterargument — that oil spills are not environmentally devastating. Many organizations, including the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation, Ltd., argue that transport is a necessary function and can be carried out safely and effectively. Even companies such as Exxon Oil, which became widely known after the Valdez oil spill, would argue that oil spills are manageable and that ecosystems are capable of completely recovering from any harm done.
Many oil tanker companies and major corporations such as Exxon have adopted protective measures to help guard against spills in the future. Despite these efforts, however, spills — small or large — continue to occur. Exxon experienced another oil spill, much smaller but a spill nonetheless, just a few years after the Valdez disaster.
Most of the companies involved in spills argue that the environment and affected ecosystems can recover quickly and efficiently, and that most environments can return to a normal state of existence as they were before a spill. According to Dicks (1998), it is "unrealistic to define recovery as a return to pre-spill conditions"; rather, recovery is defined as "the re-establishment of a healthy biological community in which the plants and animals characteristic of that community are present and functioning normally" (Dicks, 1998, p. 2). Generally, the area will not have the same composition or structure that was present prior to a spill, and it continues to change over time.
Fortunately, many agencies are working to spread awareness that oil spills are environmentally hazardous and costly. The Environmental Protection Agency is the primary advocate working to combat the serious devastation that occurs when oil is spilled into aquatic systems. The EPA and many other environmental groups, including Greenpeace, the Sierra Club, and PETA, are working diligently to educate the public about the health risks associated with environmental oil spills, as well as the devastation that typically occurs in natural habitats and ecosystems when a spill takes place.
Environmental oil spills do not simply damage biological life; they are also a threat to the economy, altering the quality of life and changing the supply-and-demand ratio of oil in ways that can cause prices to fluctuate.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency currently operates an oil spill program working to protect the environment and public health by preventing, preparing for, and responding to oil spills in a rapid and effective manner. Offices dedicated to education and protection include the EPA Environmental Response Team, the EPA Office of Research and Development, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the State of Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, and the BP Amoco Corporation (EPA, 2004).
The National Response Team is currently responsible for identifying potential hazards and the federal resources necessary to combat oil spills (EPA, 2004). Despite these efforts, it remains likely that major impacts will be felt from oil spills in the future, as there is only so much that can be done to help the environment recover from such large-scale disasters.
What exactly are the environmental impacts of an oil spill? The effects can be wide-reaching. The physical environment is affected, as are organisms and wildlife; humans can be harmed; and local fishermen and communities in surrounding areas are also impacted. These effects can be short-term or long-term in nature — a fact that many oil companies and shipping authorities overlook. Once the initial cleanup process has been completed, many agencies fail to explore the long-term effects of a spill that may linger years after the recovery effort ends.
Most notably, oil spills have a devastating impact on the environment and the wildlife living within it. Following an Exxon oil spill on New Year's Day 1990, more than 700 birds were killed and the shoreline ecosystem was destroyed (Nixon, 1995). The disruption of one biological species can ripple outward to affect many others — a fact that is often forgotten when only the short-term effects of an environmental accident are considered.
Oil that spills into water can harm the organisms living in and on that body of water. When these organisms are damaged, portions of the food chain may be damaged as well. Many factors can influence the severity of harm following an oil spill. Some organisms are immediately killed or injured upon contact with oil, while lethal and toxic effects on other species may be more subtle and longer lasting (EPA, 2004).
Birds and mammals living in aquatic areas are typically harmed in the following ways: (1) by direct physical contact with oil, (2) via toxic contamination, (3) through destruction of food sources and habitats, and (4) by reproductive problems (EPA, 2004).
Most birds' feathers are damaged by contact with oil, which can cause matting and subsequently result in the birds freezing to death. Other birds may drown, while still others lose the ability to fly. Toxic contamination comes in the form of oil vapors, which can be inhaled and damage a bird's or mammal's lungs, central nervous system, and liver. Animals in the immediate vicinity of a spill may also accidentally ingest oil, which can damage the intestinal tract.
Oil spills destroy the habitats that most animals rely on and, in doing so, generally reduce or completely eliminate food resources. Predators that depend on marine life for food can ingest contaminated prey and be further exposed to oil, leading to additional illness and injury. In some cases, animals directly affected by oil contamination develop an unusual odor, causing predators to avoid them entirely — resulting in starvation as food sources dwindle.
Reproductive problems are not uncommon among organisms and animals exposed to oil spills. The viscosity of oil often smothers eggs by preventing gas exchange (EPA, 2004). In addition, developmental delays have been found in bird embryos that were exposed to oil during gestation.
Oil that enters the environment immediately causes marked changes in the physical landscape. Surface organisms and aquatic animals that are part of a broader ecosystem are put at significant risk. In some areas, animals and habitats may recover relatively quickly, but by and large a full recovery often takes many years. While the short-term effects of many spills are often predictable, the long-term effects are not. Low levels of residual oil may affect a species across multiple generations, meaning an environmental oil spill cannot be treated as a one-time event. Fluctuations in any natural ecosystem have the potential to cause lasting harm to the environment and animal populations as a whole.
The impact of environmental oil spills has been studied for decades, giving researchers a certain predictive understanding of the events that unfold immediately after a spill. One might assume that if the nature of oil spills and recovery efforts is predictable, adequate measures could be taken to prevent the devastation most often associated with them. This is not, however, always the case.
Among the primary biological impacts of an oil spill are: (1) physical and chemical alteration of the natural habitat, (2) physical smothering of fauna and flora, (3) lethal and sub-lethal toxic effects on marine and terrestrial wildlife, and (4) changes in biological communities including organisms and animals (Dicks, 1998). Not one of these effects can be described as minor; all of them have the potential to result in serious long-term consequences.
"Losses to fishing communities and coastal economies"
"Industry cooperation and regulatory prevention prospects"
"Call for collaborative action to reduce spill risk"
Always verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.