Handbook of Oil Spill Science and Technology

Merv Fingas

• Publisher: Wiley
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN: 9780470455517
• eBook ISBN: 9781118989975
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Environmental Management
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Provides a scientific basis for the cleanup and for the assessment of oil spills

• Enables Non-scientific officers to understand the science they use on a daily basis
• Multi-disciplinary approach covering fields as diverse as biology, microbiology, chemistry, physics, oceanography and toxicology
• Covers the science of oil spills from risk analysis to cleanup and through the effects on the environment
• Includes case studies examining and analyzing spills, such as Tasman Spirit oil spill on the Karachi Coast, and provides lessons to prevent these in the future

Part I
Risk Analysis

1
Risk Analysis and Prevention

Dagmar Schmidt Etkin

Environmental Research Consulting, Cortlandt Manor, NYUSA

1. 1.1 Introduction
2. 1.2 Executive Summary
3. 1.3 Oil Spill Risk Analysis
   1. 1.3.1 Defining “Oil Spill Risk”
   2. 1.3.2 Factors That Determine the Probability of Spill Occurrence
   3. 1.3.3 Probability Distributions of Spill Volume
   4. 1.3.4 Determining the Probable Locations and Timing of Spills
   5. 1.3.5 Factors That Determine the Consequences/ Impacts of a Spill
   6. 1.3.6 Spill Impacts: The Effects of Spill Location Type
   7. 1.3.7 Measuring Oil Spill Impacts
   8. 1.3.8 Interpreting Risk for Policy-Making
4. 1.4 Overview of Oil Spill Prevention
   1. 1.4.1 Basic Strategies for Spill Prevention
   2. 1.4.2 Implementation of Spill Prevention Measures
   3. 1.4.3 Effectiveness of Spill Prevention
   4. 1.4.4 Spill Fines and Penalties as Deterrents

1.1 Introduction

Understanding oil spill risk is at the heart of the entire study of oil spills because it encompasses both the likelihood of spills occurring and the nature of those spills, as well as the complex factors that determine the fate and effects of oil in the environments into which it spills. Risk mitigation—reducing risk—is the purpose of spill prevention measures and spill response. Studies of oil behavior, toxicity, ecosystem effects, and organism impacts are related to the consequences side of risk. Studies of spill rates, causes, and prevention strategies are related to the probability side of risk.

1.2 Executive Summary

Risk is the probability that an event will occur multiplied by consequences of the event. With regard to oil spills, risk is a combination of the probability that a spill will occur and the consequences or impacts of that spill. Because oil spills can have such different environmental and socioeconomic impacts based on the specific circumstances of each incident, it is important to consider the type of spill event that occurs with regard to oil type, volume, source, location, and season and the impacts that that kind of spill is likely to have in a given location and season based on the spillage volume and type of oil.

Spill risk analysis involves studying both the probability of occurrence and the impacts that may occur. Event tree analysis or fault tree analysis (FTA) is often used to evaluate the sequences of events that contribute to a spill occurring. In the event that a spill does occur, the spill volume, oil type, geographic location, resources at risk, and spill response effectiveness will determine the degree of impact. State-of-the-art modeling techniques and qualitative evaluations on impacts incorporating knowledge about oil behavior, toxicity, persistence, and adherence along with knowledge on the sensitivities of species, habitats, and shoreline types can provide data on the consequences side of the risk equation. Socioeconomic impacts and the cost of spill response should also be factored into any analysis.

There are many practical applications for spill risk assessments, including contingency planning for response and preparedness, protection of sensitive resources, risk allocation for insurance or taxation, response trade-off evaluation, cost–benefit analyses of oil exploration, production, storage, or transport; developing spill prevention measures; and evaluating alternative courses of action for oil exploration, production, storage, or transport. A scientifically based risk assessment removes much of the subjectivity in the process.

Evaluating and developing spill prevention measures is arguably the most important application of risk assessments. With significant reductions in spill rates over the last two decades, there have clearly been positive effects of spill prevention programs and measures, such as double hulls on tankers and legislation such as the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90). A greater appreciation and understanding of the consequences of spills, including environmental and socioeconomic impacts and costs, ha...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title page
• Copyright page
• Contributors
• Author Biographies
• Preface
• Part I: Risk Analysis
• Part II: Oil Properties
• Part III: Oil Composition and Properties
• Part IV: Oil Analysis
• Part V: Oil Behavior
• Part VI: Modeling
• Part VII: Detection, Tracking, and Remote Sensing
• Part VIII: Oil Spills on Land
• Part IX: Effects of Oil
• Part X: Natural Dispersion
• Part XI: Cold Region Spills
• Part XII: Case Studies
• Part XIII: Appendices
• Index
• End User License Agreement