Oil spills can lead to long-term devastating consequences for wildlife and the environment. When liquid petroleum hydrocarbon is released into the environment, specifically in marine areas, it disrupts our ecosystems and threatens the survival of countless species.
An oil spill can often lead to long-term devastating consequences for wildlife and the environment. Twenty-nine years ago, we witnessed the disastrous Exxon Valdez 11-million-gallon oil spill along Alaska’s coastline that still affects seabirds and killer whales today.
In 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill was the largest in history, leaking for about sixteen weeks and taking over a decade to clean up, and has been labeled an “injury to the entire northern Gulf ecosystem.”
These spills happen not only in the ocean, coastal waters, lakes, rivers, or streams but also on land. An oil spill is typically due to unforeseen events like accidents that often involve:
- Tankers
- Drilling Rigs
- Human Error
- Equipment Failure
- Natural Disasters
Although we can’t control a natural disaster, being well-equipped and educated when dealing with oil spills is essential because our wildlife, ecosystem, environment, and food web depend on it.
The Effects of Oil Spills on Wildlife
When wildlife comes in contact with oil spills, the effects are traumatic for the animal. The oil contaminates their habitat, eliminates food sources, and reduces their ability to breathe and move. It can even increase their risk of disease and predation.
Oil can disrupt a fur-bearing animal’s ability to insulate. It makes it hard for feathers to repel water, exposing the bird to harsh elements. When animals lose the ability to protect themselves from cold water due to being oiled, it can cause hypothermia and, eventually, death.
Oil spills can also severely affect aquatic life, such as fish, shellfish, and marine mammals, by contaminating their habitat and food sources. When dolphins and whales come in contact with oil, they can inhale or ingest it. This can affect their lungs, immunity, and ability to reproduce. Adult fish can also suffer from reduced growth, enlarged liver, and fin erosion.
Wildlife that occupies land and sea, such as pelicans, seagulls, and ducks, are also vulnerable to oil spills. When the seabirds try to clean themselves, they ingest the oil that will damage their livers, lungs, and intestines. Oil can sink their natural buoyancy, making it hard for them to survive.
The Effects of Oil Spills on the Environment
Oil spills can have devastating effects on the environment and the food chain. It contaminates the water and harms aquatic organisms, including fish and other marine life in the food chain. The toxicity of an oil spill can accumulate as it moves up the food chain, ultimately affecting our health if we consume contaminated seafood.
In response to the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the United States passed the Oil Pollution Act (OPA) of 1990, a federal law enacted to establish a comprehensive framework for preventing and responding to oil spills in US waters. The OPA requires oil companies, storage facilities, and vessels to develop and submit spill prevention and response plans detailing how they will respond to large discharges to the Federal government.
As a result, the Oil Spill Removal Organization (OSRO) program was created by the US Coast Guard to ensure that each potential spill site has a registered entity that fits the criteria to respond to such discharges. ACME Environmental was the tenth organization in the country to meet this criteria and be approved to service these spills. Currently, there are over nine-hundred certified OSRO in the United States and ACME still holds the unique classification of number #0010.
It is vital to have prevention plans and be proactive when working with oil that can potentially come in contact with the environment.
At ACME, we offer comprehensive remediation services as an emergency response and remedial construction industry leader. Our team has experience with hydrocarbon and brine spills on the soil. We also custom-manufacture products to help clean up oil spills in water.
How Acme Environmental products and services help
Depending on your assignment, you should have different methods and products on hand to help clean up oil spills before it affects the environment. Your initial response time to an oil spill is critical and can determine the long-term damage to wildlife and their habitats.
Having a resourceful remediation partner like Acme Environmental can keep you prepared and thoughtful of the living creatures you may encounter. For more than 50 years, we’ve been committed to providing safe and quality environmental products, services, and custom-manufactured equipment.
Our oil spill containment booms come in various lengths and sizes to help with oil spills on water.
- Containment booms act as an above-water freeboard to contain the oil and reduce spread before reaching the shoreline.
- Our skimmers are designed for durability on the most challenging jobs. Oil Skimmers work to recover spilled oil from the water’s surface.
- Sorbents are great to include in your spill contingency plan. Sorbents contain synthetic materials that absorb oil quickly.
The Clean Water Act enforces laws to keep marine ecosystems clean. Floating turbidity curtains and sediment barriers are flexible or partially permeable barriers that trap sediment in the water. We custom-manufacture turbidity curtains depending on your silt and sediment needs.
Whether you have a hazmat, oil-only, or truck oil spill, spill kits are necessary to have on hand for quick responses to any oil. Our spill kits come in zippered bags, resealable containers, or drums that hold all essential items to help you act quickly.This includes sorbent pads, gloves, and poly-disposable bags.
Do you have a proactive plan?
Whether you need to create a compliance strategy or want to have certain products on hand, we can help you stay proactive. In addition to our products and custom manufacturing, ACME offers hands-on oil spill training, including Spill Response Safety Procedures, boom deployment, and Response Plan Reviews.
Let ACME Environmental help you stay prepared. Contact us today for a consultation.
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