On November 21, 2004, the coastal waters of Newfoundland had the sheen that was not a good sheen, and it was a spill of crude oil. Nearly 170,000 gallons of oil were spilled at the drilling platform of Terra Nova, off the southeast coast, which has created a slick approximately nine kilometers long and one km wide. This event has attracted the attention of the country. In America, about 12 spills 4,000 liters or more are reported daily (one in navigable waters). Some are accidental spills, such as that which occurred during production at Terra Nova in November 2004, while others are deliberate and illegal discharges of bilge oil - waste oil from ships. As long as society depends on petroleum products, spills pose a serious risk. Oil spill cleanup methods need to be implemented. Understanding the environmental impact of oil spills and contingency planning are necessary to reduce the effects of such events. There are several oil spill cleanup methods such as booming, skimming and burning which can play a major role.
The birds are among those most sensitive to oil exposure. The feathers of the birds easily absorb the oil. When this situation occurs, heat insulation, waterproofing and buoyancy of the bird fail. Just a drop of oil the size of a 25-cent piece on the wings wrecks the insulation and waterproofing in its plumage. In order to save these birds, oil spill cleanup methods are necessary. Such a drop has the same effect as a tiny hole in a dry suit diver, the body of the bird, which is 40° C, quickly cooled by water, which is barely above 0° C. The bird is poisoned by oil, which inevitably leads to death from hypothermia, poisoning or starvation. Because of this level of sensitivity every year, the oil pollution from ships, traveling off America's coasts causes the death of hundreds of thousands of seabirds. Burning is one of the most effective oil spill cleanup methods implemented by the Government.
In case of environmental emergency, nobody can get to control the situation. For urgent intervention of the oil spill cleanup methods to be effective, require the cooperation of governments, industry, communities and local organizations. At the federal level, Environment America, Natural Resources America, Fisheries and Oceans America, American Coast Guard, Transport America, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness America may have a role to play depending on the incident. Contingency planning is an important step in the development of effective interventions in cases of oil spills. Response teams are composed, inter alia, those responsible for operations and communications, as well as scientists. The action plan of the oil spill cleanup methods includes stopping the flow of oil, the oil containment and cleanup.
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