Marine Pollution Control8631 West Jefferson Avenue
Detroit, MI 48209 USA
313.849.2333 - 24/hour
11320 E Lakewood Blvd., #11
Holland, MI 49424
800-521-8232 – 24/Hour
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Report: Companies involved in Gulf spill didn't focus on major accident risks
July 25, 2012
(CNN) -- Two of the main companies involved in the disastrous 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill were more focused on personal injury risks than the potential for a major accident, a federal agency said in a report released Tuesday.
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board, an independent federal agency entrusted with investigating serious chemical accidents, released findings from their months-long analysis Tuesday at a public hearing in Houston.
The CSB said two of the main companies involved, BP and Transocean, as well as U.S. regulators, focused too heavily on personal injury issues such as dropping objects, slips, trips and falls instead of on overarching considerations of importance, such as the potential of losing control of an oil well or drilling using a complicated rig.
The disaster began on April 20, 2010, when an explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig killed 11 people and caused a three-month-long oil spill, sending nearly 5 million barrels of crude spewing into the Gulf.
"A number of past CSB investigations have found companies focusing on personal injury rates while virtually overlooking looming process safety issues -- like the effectiveness of barriers against hazardous releases, automatic shutoff system failures, activation of pressure relief devices, and loss of containment of liquids and gases," CSB Chairman Rafael Moure-Eraso said.
Arctic oil: 1970 study holds surprises for how to clean up oil spill in ice
July 25, 2012
Good old-fashioned hay works great for cleaning up oil from ice and cold water, according to a decades-old study conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard off the Arctic Ocean coast years before Prudhoe Bay began supplying the nation with oil.
Hay is also way better than peat moss, which tends to break up easily, making it hard to distribute and hard to collect once oiled. The unusual study was conducted on a drifting ice floe southwest of Barrow in the Chukchi Sea in 1970 as the oil industry was ramping up plans to tap what would become the nation's largest oil field.
Forty-two years ago, it was OK under federal law to dump real oil into the water for such tests. Not tested at the time were skimmers, booms and synthetic absorbent pads for soaking up oil, some of the key tools used by industry today.
Attorney for Shelby Township accuses Ford of trying to hide information on contamination from public
July 23, 2012
DETROIT (WXYZ) - The 7 Action News Investigators are exposing a battle brewing over a toxic chemical problem in Macomb County involving an abandoned Ford Plant.
The contamination in Shelby Township is much bigger than first thought and now township lawyers are accusing Ford of trying to hide information from the public.
Ford confirms that they will ask a judge on Monday morning to issue a protective order in the case but they say the intent is not to hide information from the public.
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Marine Garbage Pollution: an International Problem
July 24, 2012
Marine garbage pollution resulting from the shipping trade is an eminent problem.
For a very long time it was generally believed that the oceans could absorb anything that was thrown into them. Fortunately this attitude has changed, particularly over the last 30 years or so which coincided with the increase in environmental awareness and scientific research observing the effects of various sources of marine pollution.
Not to be underestimated
Marine garbage pollution resulting from the shipping trade is an eminent problem. It is also an obvious problem, but in certain respects highly underestimated. Garbage from ships can be just as deadly to marine life and human health as oil or chemicals. The latter two receive a lot more attention at a regional and international level because they are more apparent and can quickly become political as a consequence.
Oil in Our Waters, Documentary about the illegal dumping of oil from ships
July 23, 2012
This film explores the extent of the problem, the impact of oil on the marine environment, the creation of MARPOL, the rewards for whistleblowers, and the penalties faced by polluters caught in the United States.
Meet the Coast Guard inspectors, Justice Department lawyers, and scientists who are leading the fight against marine oil pollution!
Three part series:
More Articles...
- Tug boat and barge sink in Lake Huron spilling fuel, cause HAZMAT
- American Commercial Lines Presents Marine Environmental Stewardship Awards to Customers for Safe Handling of Chemicals, Petroleum Products, and Other Liquid Cargoes
- In Brazil, Chevron Fine Close To $25 Million For Rio Oil Spill
- Enbridge seeks to rebuild pipeline; NTSB to discuss report Tuesday