Oil spill

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Kelp after an oil spill

Oil slick from the Montara oil spill in the Timor Sea, September 2009

An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially the

marine ecosystem, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The term is usually given
to marine oil spills, where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters, but spills may also occur
on land. Oil spills may be due to releases of crude oil from tankers, offshore platforms, drilling
rigs and wells, as well as spills of refined petroleum products (such as gasoline, diesel) and their by-
products, heavier fuels used by large ships such as bunker fuel, or the spill of any oily refuse
or waste oil.
Oil spills penetrate into the structure of the plumage of birds and the fur of mammals, reducing its
insulating ability, and making them more vulnerable to temperature fluctuations and much
less buoyant in the water. Cleanup and recovery from an oil spill is difficult and depends upon many
factors, including the type of oil spilled, the temperature of the water (affecting evaporation and
biodegradation), and the types of shorelines and beaches involved. [1] Spills may take weeks, months
or even years to clean up.[2]
Oil spills can have disastrous consequences for society; economically, environmentally, and socially.
As a result, oil spill accidents have initiated intense media attention and political uproar, bringing
many together in a political struggle concerning government response to oil spills and what actions
can best prevent them from happening. [3]

Human impact[edit]
An oil spill represents an immediate fire hazard. The Kuwaiti oil fires produced air pollution that
caused respiratory distress.[citation needed] The Deepwater Horizonexplosion killed eleven oil rig workers.
  The fire resulting from the Lac-Mégantic derailment killed 47 and destroyed half of the town's
[29]

centre.[citation needed]
Spilled oil can also contaminate drinking water supplies. For example, in 2013 two different oil spills
contaminated water supplies for 300,000 in Miri, Malaysia;[30]80,000 people in Coca, Ecuador,.[31] In
2000, springs were contaminated by an oil spill in Clark County, Kentucky.[32]
Contamination can have an economic impact on tourism and marine resource extraction industries.
For example, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill impacted beach tourism and fishing along the Gulf
Coast, and the responsible parties were required to compensate economic victims.

Environmental effects[edit]
Further information: Oil pollution toxicity to marine fish

A surf scoter covered in oil as a result of the 2007 San Francisco Bay oil spill

A bird covered in oil from the Black Sea oil spill

In general, spilled oil can affect animals and plants in two ways: dirесt from the oil and from the
response or cleanup process.[33][34] There is no clear relationship between the amount of oil in the
aquatic environment and the likely impact on biodiversity. A smaller spill at the wrong time/wrong
season and in a sensitive environment may prove much more harmful than a larger spill at another
time of the year in another or even the same environment. [35] Oil penetrates into the structure of
the plumage of birds and the fur of mammals, reducing its insulating ability, and making them more
vulnerable to temperature fluctuations and much less buoyant in the water.
Animals who rely on scent to find their babies or mothers cannot due to the strong scent of the oil.
This causes a baby to be rejected and abandoned, leaving the babies to starve and eventually die.
Oil can impair a bird's ability to fly, preventing it from foraging or escaping from predators. As
they preen, birds may ingest the oil coating their feathers, irritating the digestive tract,
altering liver function, and causing kidney damage. Together with their diminished foraging capacity,
this can rapidly result in dehydration and metabolic imbalance. Some birds exposed to petroleum
also experience changes in their hormonal balance, including changes in their luteinizing protein.
[36]
 The majority of birds affected by oil spills die from complications without human intervention. [37]
[38]
 Some studies have suggested that less than one percent of oil-soaked birds survive, even after
cleaning,[39]although the survival rate can also exceed ninety percent, as in the case of the Treasure
oil spill.[40]
Heavily furred marine mammals exposed to oil spills are affected in similar ways. Oil coats the fur
of sea otters and seals, reducing its insulating effect, and leading to fluctuations in body
temperature and hypothermia. Oil can also blind an animal, leaving it defenseless. The ingestion of
oil causes dehydration and impairs the digestive process. Animals can be poisoned, and may die
from oil entering the lungs or liver.
There are three kinds of oil-consuming bacteria. Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and acid-producing
bacteria are anaerobic, while general aerobic bacteria (GAB) are aerobic. These bacteria occur
naturally and will act to remove oil from an ecosystem, and their biomass will tend to replace other
populations in the food chain. The chemicals from the oil which dissolve in water, and hence are
available to bacteria, are those in the water associated fraction of the oil.
In addition, oil spills can also harm air quality. [41] The chemicals in crude oil are mostly hydrocarbons
that contains toxic chemicals such as benzenes, toluene, poly-aromatic hydrocarbon and
oxygenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. [42] These chemicals can introduce adverse health
effects when being inhaled into human body. In addition, these chemicals can be oxidized by
oxidants in the atmosphere to form fine particulate matter after they evaporate into the atmosphere.
[43]
 These particulates can penetrate lungs and carry toxic chemicals into the human body. Burning
surface oil can also be a source for pollution such as soot particles. During the cleanup and recovery
process, it will also generate air pollutants such as nitric oxides and ozone from ships. Lastly, bubble
bursting can also be a generation pathway for particulate matter during an oil spill. [44] During
the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, significant air quality issues were found on the Gulf Coast, which is
the downwind of DWH oil spill. Air quality monitoring data showed that criteria pollutants had
exceeded the health-based standard in the coastal regions. [45]

Cleanup and recovery[edit]

A U.S. Air Force Reserve plane sprays Corexit dispersant over the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of
Mexico.
Clean-up efforts after the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

A US Navy oil spill response team drills with a "Harbour Buster high-speed oil containment system".

Cleanup and recovery from an oil spill is difficult and depends upon many factors, including the type
of oil spilled, the temperature of the water (affecting evaporation and biodegradation), and the types
of shorelines and beaches involved.[1]
See also: Wendy Schmidt Oil Cleanup X Challenge

Methods for cleaning up include:[49]

 Bioremediation: use of microorganisms[50] or biological agents[51] to break down or remove oil;

such as the bacteria Alcanivorax[52] or Methylocella Silvestris.[53]
 Bioremediation Accelerator: Oleophilic, hydrophobic chemical, containing no bacteria, which
chemically and physically bonds to both soluble and insoluble hydrocarbons. The bioremediation
accelerator acts as a herding agent in water and on the surface, floating molecules to the
surface of the water, including solubles such as phenols and BTEX, forming gel-like
agglomerations. Undetectable levels of hydrocarbons can be obtained in produced water and
manageable water columns. By overspraying sheen with bioremediation accelerator, sheen is
eliminated within minutes. Whether applied on land or on water, the nutrient-rich emulsion
creates a bloom of local, indigenous, pre-existing, hydrocarbon-consuming bacteria. Those
specific bacteria break down the hydrocarbons into water and carbon dioxide, with EPA tests
showing 98% of alkanes biodegraded in 28 days; and aromatics being biodegraded 200 times
faster than in nature they also sometimes use the hydrofireboom to clean the oil up by taking it
away from most of the oil and burning it.[54]
 Controlled burning can effectively reduce the amount of oil in water, if done properly. [55] But it
can only be done in low wind,[56]and can cause air pollution.[57]
Oil slicks on Lake Maracaibo

Volunteers cleaning up the aftermath of the Prestige oil spill

 Dispersants can be used to dissipate oil slicks.[58] A dispersant is either a non-surface

active polymer or a surface-active substance added to a suspension, usually a colloid, to
improve the separation of particles and to prevent settling or clumping. They may
rapidly disperse large amounts of certain oil types from the sea surface by transferring it into
the water column. They will cause the oil slick to break up and form water-soluble micelles that
are rapidly diluted. The oil is then effectively spread throughout a larger volume of water than the
surface from where the oil was dispersed. They can also delay the formation of persistent oil-in-
water emulsions. However, laboratory experiments showed that dispersants increased toxic
hydrocarbon levels in fish by a factor of up to 100 and may kill fish eggs. [59] Dispersed oil droplets
infiltrate into deeper water and can lethally contaminate coral. Research indicates that some
dispersants are toxic to corals.[60] A 2012 study found that Corexit dispersant had increased the
toxicity of oil by up to 52 times.[61]
 Watch and wait: in some cases, natural attenuation of oil may be most appropriate, due to
the invasive nature of facilitated methods of remediation, particularly in ecologically sensitive
areas such as wetlands.[62]
 Dredging: for oils dispersed with detergents and other oils denser than water.
 Skimming: Requires calm waters at all times during the process.
 Solidifying: Solidifiers are composed of tiny, floating, dry ice pellets,[63][64]
[65]
 and hydrophobic polymers that both adsorband absorb. They clean up oil spills by changing
the physical state of spilled oil from liquid to a solid, semi-solid or a rubber-like material that
floats on water.[34] Solidifiers are insoluble in water, therefore the removal of the solidified oil is
easy and the oil will not leach out. Solidifiers have been proven to be relatively non-toxic to
aquatic and wild life and have been proven to suppress harmful vapors commonly associated
 with hydrocarbons such as benzene, xylene and naphtha. The reaction time for solidification of
oil is controlled by the surface area or size of the polymer or dry pellets as well as the viscosity
and thickness of the oil layer. Some solidifier product manufactures claim the solidified oil can be
thawed and used if frozen with dry ice or disposed of in landfills, recycled as an additive in
asphalt or rubber products, or burned as a low ash fuel. A solidifier called C.I.Agent
(manufactured by C.I.Agent Solutions of Louisville, Kentucky) is being used by BP in granular
form, as well as in Marine and Sheen Booms at Dauphin Island and Fort Morgan, Alabama, to
aid in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill cleanup.
 Vacuum and centrifuge: oil can be sucked up along with the water, and then a centrifuge can
be used to separate the oil from the water - allowing a tanker to be filled with near pure oil.
Usually, the water is returned to the sea, making the process more efficient, but allowing small
amounts of oil to go back as well. This issue has hampered the use of centrifuges due to a
United States regulation limiting the amount of oil in water returned to the sea. [66]
 Beach Raking: coagulated oil that is left on the beach can be picked up by machinery.

Bags of oily waste from the Exxon Valdez oil spill

Equipment used includes:[55]

 Booms: large floating barriers that round up oil and lift the oil off the water
 Skimmers: skim the oil
 Sorbents: large absorbents that absorb oil
 Chemical and biological agents: helps to break down the oil
 Vacuums: remove oil from beaches and water surface
 Shovels and other road equipment: typically used to clean up oil on beaches
Prevention[edit]
Further information: Offshore oil spill prevention and response

 Secondary containment - methods to prevent releases of oil or hydrocarbons into

environment.
 Oil Spill Prevention Containment and Countermeasures (SPCC) program by the United
States Environmental Protection Agency.
 Double-hulling - build double hulls into vessels, which reduces the risk and severity of a spill
in case of a collision or grounding. Existing single-hull vessels can also be rebuilt to have a
double hull.
 Thick-hulled railroad transport tanks.[67]
Spill response procedures should include elements such as;

 A listing of appropriate protective clothing, safety equipment, and cleanup materials required
for spill cleanup (gloves, respirators, etc.) and an explanation of their proper use;
 Appropriate evacuation zones and procedures;
 Availability of fire suppression equipment;
 Disposal containers for spill cleanup materials; and
 The first aid procedures that might be required. [68]

Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) mapping[edit]

Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) maps are used to identify sensitive shoreline resources prior to
an oil spill event in order to set priorities for protection and plan cleanup strategies. [69][70] By planning
spill response ahead of time, the impact on the environment can be minimized or prevented.
Environmental sensitivity index maps are basically made up of information within the following three
categories: shoreline type, and biological and human-use resources. [71]

Shoreline type[edit]
Shoreline type is classified by rank depending on how easy the target site would be to clean up, how
long the oil would persist, and how sensitive the shoreline is.[72]The floating oil slicks put the shoreline
at particular risk when they eventually come ashore, covering the substrate with oil. The differing
substrates between shoreline types vary in their response to oiling, and influence the type of cleanup
that will be required to effectively decontaminate the shoreline. In 1995, the US National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration extended ESI maps to lakes, rivers, and estuary shoreline types.
[71]
 The exposure the shoreline has to wave energy and tides, substrate type, and slope of the
shoreline are also taken into account—in addition to biological productivity and sensitivity. The
productivity of the shoreline habitat is also taken into account when determining ESI ranking.
[73]
 Mangroves and marshes tend to have higher ESI rankings due to the potentially long-lasting and
damaging effects of both the oil contamination and cleanup actions. Impermeable and exposed
surfaces with high wave action are ranked lower due to the reflecting waves keeping oil from coming
onshore, and the speed at which natural processes will remove the oil.

Biological resources[edit]
Habitats of plants and animals that may be at risk from oil spills are referred to as "elements" and
are divided by functional group. Further classification divides each element into species groups with
similar life histories and behaviors relative to their vulnerability to oil spills. There are eight element
groups: Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians, Fish, Invertebrates, Habitats and Plants, Wetlands, and Marine
Mammals and Terrestrial Mammals. Element groups are further divided into sub-groups, for
example, the ‘marine mammals’ element group is divided into dolphins, manatees, pinnipeds (seals,
sea lions & walruses), polar bears, sea otters and whales.[71][73]Problems taken into consideration
when ranking biological resources include the observance of a large number of individuals in a small
area, whether special life stages occur ashore (nesting or molting), and whether there are species
present that are threatened, endangered or rare. [74]

Human-use resources[edit]
Human use resources are divided into four major classifications; archaeological importance or
cultural resource site, high-use recreational areas or shoreline access points, important protected
management areas, or resource origins. [71][74] Some examples include airports, diving sites, popular
beach sites, marinas, natural reserves or marine sanctuaries.

Estimating the volume of a spill[edit]

By observing the thickness of the film of oil and its appearance on the surface of the water, it is
possible to estimate the quantity of oil spilled. If the surface area of the spill is also known, the total
volume of the oil can be calculated. [75]
 Film thickness Quantity spread

Appearance inches mm nm gal/sq mi L/ha

Barely visible 0.0000015 0.0000380 38 25 0.370

Silvery sheen 0.0000030 0.0000760 76 50 0.730

First trace of color 0.0000060 0.0001500 150 100 1.500

Bright bands of color 0.0000120 0.0003000 300 200 2.900

Colors begin to dull 0.00004 0.0010000 1000 666 9.700

Colors are much darker 0.0000800 0.0020000 2000 1332 19.500

Oil spill model systems are used by industry and government to assist in planning and emergency
decision making. Of critical importance for the skill of the oil spill model prediction is the adequate
description of the wind and current fields. There is a worldwide oil spill modelling (WOSM) program.
[76]
 Tracking the scope of an oil spill may also involve verifying that hydrocarbons collected during an
ongoing spill are derived from the active spill or some other source. This can involve sophisticated
analytical chemistry focused on finger printing an oil source based on the complex mixture of
substances present. Largely, these will be various hydrocarbons, among the most useful
being polyaromatic hydrocarbons. In addition, both oxygen and nitrogen heterocyclic hydrocarbons,
such as parent and alkyl homologues of carbazole, quinoline, and pyridine, are present in many
crude oils. As a result, these compounds have great potential to supplement the existing suite of
hydrocarbons targets to fine-tune source tracking of petroleum spills. Such analysis can also be
used to follow weathering and degradation of crude spills.[77]
Environmental Effects of Oil Spills

Oil stranded on the shoreline adjacent to a fishing

farm.

The effects of oil spills can have wide ranging impacts that are often portrayed by the media as
long lasting environmental disasters. Such perceptions are understandable as they are often
fuelled by distressing images of oiled birds and other wildlife.

It is true that an oil spill can have severe short term effects, especially when organisms are considered on
an individual basis. However, environmental impacts should always be measured in a scientific
context and should be appraised at an ecosystem rather than individual level. In other words, it is
important (or more representative of long term environmental effects) to base the extent of environmental
damage on the effects to ecosystems. For example, has the ecosystem retained its normal functions or
how quickly will they resume following an oil spill?

Read more
How Can Oil Spills Cause Damage to the Environment?
The effects of an oil spill will depend on a variety of factors including, the quantity and type of oil spilled,
and how it interacts with the marine environment. Prevailing weather conditions will also influence the oil’s
physical characteristics and its behaviour. Other key factors include the biological and ecological
attributes of the area; the ecological significance of key species and their sensitivity to oil pollution as well
as the time of year. It is important to remember that the clean-up techniques selected will also have a
bearing on the environmental effects of a spill.

Read more
What Characterises Recovery for the Marine Environment?
Extensive research and detailed post-spill studies have shown that even major oil spills will rarely cause
permanent effects.
Marine ecosystems have high natural variability and are subject to ever-changing environmental
phenomena such as storms, climatic anomalies (eg El Niño) as well as anthropogenic pressures.
Furthermore, marine organisms have varying degrees of natural resilience to these pressures on their
habitats. This natural variability means it is unlikely that exact pre-spill conditions will be reached. It
makes determining the point of recovery following an oil spill, and the time it will take, difficult to
accurately predict.

It is generally accepted that recovery is reached when a community of plants and animals characteristic of
that habitat are established and functioning normally.

Contaminated mangrove in August 2010

Natural recovery of the mangrove in November

2010
Environmental Consequences of Oil Spills

Oil spills always harm wildlife, ecosystems and coastal

environments
Oil spills often result in both immediate and long-term environmental damage. Some of
the environmental damage caused by an oil spill can last for decades after the spill
occurs.

Here are some of the most notable environmental damages typically caused by oil spills:

Oil Spills Damage Beaches, Marshlands and Fragile Aquatic Ecosystems

Oil spilled by damaged tankers, pipelines or offshore oil rigs coats everything it touches
and becomes an unwelcome but long-term part of every ecosystem it enters.

When an oil slick from a large oil spill reaches the beach, the oil coats and clings to every
rock and grain of sand. If the oil washes into coastal marshes, mangrove forests or other
wetlands, fibrous plants and grasses absorb the oil, which can damage the plants and
make the whole area unsuitable as wildlife habitat.

When some of the oil eventually stops floating on the surface of the water and begins to
sink into the marine environment, it can have the same kind of damaging effects on
fragile underwater ecosystems, killing or contaminating many fish and smaller
organisms that are essential links in the global food chain.

Despite massive clean-up efforts following the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989, for
example, a 2007 study conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) found that 26,000 gallons of oil from the Exxon Valdez oil spill
was still trapped in the sand along the Alaska shoreline.

Scientists involved in the study determined that this residual oil was declining at a rate
of less than 4 percent annually.

Oil Spills Kill Birds

Oil-covered birds are practically a universal symbol of the environmental damage

wreaked by oil spills. Some species of shore birds may escape by relocating if they sense
the danger in time, but sea birds that swim and dive for their food are the most likely to
be covered in oil in the event of a spill.
Oil spills also damage nesting grounds, which can have serious long-term effects on
entire species. The 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon offshore oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico,
for example, occurred during prime mating and nesting season for many bird and
marine species, and the long-term environmental consequences of that spill won't be
known for many years. Oil spills can even disrupt migratory patterns by contaminating
areas where migrating birds normally stop.

Even a small amount of oil can be deadly to a bird. By coating the feathers, oil not only
makes it impossible for birds to fly but also destroys their natural waterproofing and
insulation, leaving them vulnerable to hypothermia or overheating. As the birds
frantically try to preen their feathers to restore their natural protections they often
swallow some of the oil, which can severely damage their internal organs and lead to
death. The Exxon Valdez oil spill killed somewhere between 250,000 and 500,000
seabirds, plus a number of shore birds and bald eagles.

Oil Spills Kill Marine Mammals

Oil spills frequently kill marine mammals such as whales, dolphins, seals and sea otters.
The deadly damage can take several forms. The oil sometimes clogs the blowholes of
whales and dolphins, making it impossible for the animals to breathe properly and
disrupting their ability to communicate.

Oil coats the fur of otters and seals, leaving them vulnerable to hypothermia.

Even when marine mammals escape the immediate effects, an oil spill can cause
damage by contaminating their food supply. Marine mammals that eat fish or other food
that has been exposed to an oil spill may be poisoned by the oil and die or can
experience other problems.

The Exxon Valdez oil spill killed thousands of sea otters, hundreds of harbor seals,
roughly two dozen killer whales and a dozen or more river otters. Even more troubling
in some ways, in the years after the Exxon Valdez oil spill scientists noted higher death
rates among sea otters and some other species affected by the oil spill, and stunted
growth or other damage among other species.

Oil Spills Kill Fish

Oil spills often take a deadly toll on fish, shellfish, and other marine life, particularly if
large numbers of fish eggs or larvae are exposed to the oil.

The shrimp and oyster fisheries along the Louisiana coast were among the first
casualties of the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon offshore oil spill. Similarly, the Exxon
Valdez oil spill destroyed billions of salmon and herring eggs. Those fisheries still have
not recovered.
Oil Spills Destroy Wildlife Habitat and Breeding Grounds

The long-term damage to various species, and to the habitat and nesting or breeding
grounds those species depend upon for their survival, is one of the most far-reaching
environmental effects caused by oil spills. Even many species that spend most of their
lives at sea—such as various species of sea turtles—must come ashore to nest. Sea turtles
can be harmed by oil they encounter in the water or on the beach where they lay their
eggs, the eggs can be damaged by the oil and fail to develop properly, and newly hatched
young turtles may be oiled as they scurry toward the ocean across an oily beach.

Ultimately, the severity of environmental damages caused by a particular oil spill

depends on many factors, including the amount of the oil spilled, the type and weight of
the oil, the location of the spill, the species of wildlife in the area, the timing or breeding
cycles and seasonal migrations, and even the weather at sea during and immediately
after the oil spill. But one thing never varies: oil spills are always bad news for the
environment.

The Guimaras oil spill was a massive oil spill at the Guimaras Strait, the Philippines. It was dubbed
as the worst oil spill ever in the Philippines. The oil tanker M/T Solar 1, carrying more than two
million liters of bunker fuel, sank on August 11, 2006 at the Guimaras Strait off the coast of the
Guimaras and Negros Occidental provinces, causing some 500,000 liters of oil to pour into the strait.
It has been said that the recent oil spill has adversely affected marine sanctuaries and mangrove
reserves in three out of five municipalities in Guimaras Island and reached the shores of Iloilo and
Negros Occidental. The oil spill occurred in the Visayas Sea which is considered a rich fishing
ground that supplies most of the fisheries demand for the entire country. This study was therefore
conducted to determine what life is among the Guimaras fisher folks after the oil spill in 2006.
Interviews were conducted to generate the data needed in this investigation. Results showed that
‘life was not the same before and after the oil spill. Fish catch and sea shells became few and
children are now afraid to bathe in the waters for fear of the oil spill’s effects. Development of
milkfish fish cage, handicrafts, and food preservation were top most livelihood activities resorted to
by the fisher folks after the oil spill. Budget inclusion, research and other trainings were part of the
LGU and International interventions that were done after the oil spill.
Large oil spill in
the Philippines
threatens marine
ecosystem
POSTED ON

17 August 2006

Manila, the Philippines – An oil tanker that sank in the Philippines last week is leaking tonnes of
fuel, affecting the local marine and coastal ecosystems.

The M/V Solar I, chartered by Petron, the Philippines’ largest oil refiner, was carrying 2.4 million
litres of oil to the southern island of Mindanao when it went down in unusually rough waters off
Guimaras Island, several hundred kilometres south of the capital, Manila.

To date, 200,000 litres of oil have leaked from the tanker, contaminating a 24km2 area. The oil
slick has already reached the coastal towns of Nueva Valencia and Jordan on Guimaras Island,
as well as Villadolid, Pulupandan and Bago on Negros Island. The spill is heading up through
the Guimaras Strait.

The Guimaras Strait is one of the most productive fishing grounds in the country, as well as a
popular tourist destination. It is home to pristine white sand beaches, several marine
sanctuaries and unspoiled coral reefs and mangrove forests. 

The Philippines coast guard is calling this the worst oil spill in the country’s history. According to
officials, 1,000ha of mangrove forests have been affected, including parts of the Taclong Island
Sanctuary, a feeding and breeding ground for fish and other species.

“Oil spills are most destructive when they reach the shoreline,” said Abbie Ramos of WWF-
Philippines. “Critical habitats such as coral reefs and mangrove forests are being affected and
will take years to repair.” 

Threatened species such as dugong, green and hawksbill turtles, and several cetacean species
can also be found along the Strait.

“The area is tremendously rich in marine life,” added Dr Jose Ingles, WWF-Philippines
coordinator for the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion. “A spill of this proportion is simply
catastrophic.” 

The coast guard has sent oil spill response teams from Manila and Batangas and doing all they
can to clean up the leak.

WWF hopes a national oil spill contingency plan that includes all stakeholders — coastguard, oil
industry, local fishermen and coastal communities — will help pool resources in an effort to form
rapid response teams to deal with any future oil spills throughout the country.

In addition, as extreme weather events may very well be part of our future, WWF is seeking new
standards for transport of hazardous cargo in rough weather, and current shipping routes should
be reviewed and new options considered in order to avoid particularly sensitive marine areas. 
Guimaras still reeling from 2006
oil spill, staying away from dirty
fossil fuel for good
By

 Jonathan L. Mayuga

 -

February 26, 2018

In Photo: A fisherman shows his prize catch lobsters, which he sells to a fish dealer at
P2,100 per kilo, in Barangay Suclaran, San Lorenzo town, Province of Guimaras.
Guimaras still reeling from 2006 oil spill, staying away from dirty fossil fuel for good.
Fishermen on the island-province of Guimaras, known for producing the world’s
sweetest mangoes, continue to feel the long-term effect of an oil spill that happened
almost 12 years ago.

Gov. Samuel T. Gumarin said the oil spill has taught the people in the province a
lesson about dirty fossil fuel like oil. And this prompted them to declare a ban on coal
and other dirty energy sources like fuel in Guimaras recently.

The province was severely affected by what is now known as the “Guimaras oil spill”
on August 11, 2006, when the oil tanker MT Solar sank off the coast of Guimaras. 
The oil tanker was carrying more than 2 million liters of bunker fuel.  Around 500,000
liters were spilled.

The oil spill affected marine sanctuaries and mangrove forests in three of the five
municipalities in Guimaras.  It also reached the shores of Iloilo and Negros
Occidental.  Guimaras Strait, where the oil spill occurred, connects the Visayan Sea
with the Sulu Sea—a rich fishing ground in the Western Visayas Region. Because of
the oil spill, fishing activities ceased for about a year.

This writer chanced upon 43-year-old Hermando Gallo of Barangay Ligas in the town
of San Lorenzo, along the beach of Aplaya de Paraiso, a resort in San Lorenzo town
around 6 p.m. last Friday with his teenage son, Jeck, and another fisherman, pulling
out their fish net to the shores.

The method called sahid is common among fishermen to catch fish without going to
the open waters onboard their bancas, often for their own consumption and, if lucky to
catch more than enough, to sell to the nearby flea market for extra cash.

They were removing only a handful of fish caught from the net: a couple
of torsillo and several small reef fishes, visibly small and young ones—their catch for
the day.
Speaking in mixed Filipino and Ilonggo, Gallo said fishing was never the same in
Guimaras after the oil spill.

“If your job is fishing alone, you’ll go hungry.  You need to have more than one job,”
he said. “The fish are scarce.  If you really want to catch fish, you now have to go
farther away from the shore.”

Still, he said the average fish catch does not exceed 5 kilos. “You are lucky if you can
catch 5 kilos nowadays.”

“Before, we can catch 10 to 15 kilos in just a few hours, and we do not even have to
go far out to the seas to catch,” he added. Gallo has been fishing since he was a
teenager.  “I started when I was young.  I was 15, the same age as my son is learning
to fish now.”

But he is worried.  He said fishing in Guimaras is no longer profitable.  Fishing alone

could not possibly make ends meet, he said. “You have to have another job. 
Carpentry, if there are offers, or do farming and livestock.”

Alfred Quinto, 33, of Barangay Suclaran, Sitio Baybay, said fishing was a lot better
before the spill.

Fishermen, he noted, are forced to borrow money from him and another fish dealer to
make ends meet. “I lend them money so that they can go fishing because they have no
capital.” Fishermen need gasoline for their motorized bancas to catch commercially
viable fish and other seafood.

For Quinto, despite the devastating impact of the oil spill, Guimaras continues to
provide food on the table of a lot of fishermen.

Every day, he said he goes to the docking area in Barangay Suclaran where fishermen
who owe him money bring their catch.  Some are fortunate if they are able to catch
live lobster, which he buys at P2,100 per kilo.
Locally called banagan, he sells lobster to another dealer for export.  Grouper fish,
or lapu-lapu, locally called “inib,” is another prize catch.  “I buy them at P250 a kilo. 
Sometimes, I sell them at the local market for P350 a kilo,” he said.

Sometimes, he said his daily P10,000 capital would have been spent buying all
morning, as fishermen continue to bring in their catch.

“They start arriving around 6:30 a.m.  I’ll be here waiting until 9 a.m.  Sometimes,
they bring me a lot of fish.  Sometimes, there’s none.  They had to go farther, unlike
before, you can catch fish and lobster just a few meters from the shores,” he said.

The province does not want to forget that incident 12 years ago, which is why it has
been commemorating the Guimaras Oil Spill to remind them of its devastating impact
and how it changed the lives of the people on the island. Last Saturday Gumarin led
local officials in welcoming and playing host to the crew of Greenpeace’s flagship,
the Rainbow Warrior, as part of its Climate Justice Ship Tour in the Philippines.

Aside from pushing for programs in line with his thrust to make the province the agri-
ecotourism capital of the Western Visayas region, Gumarin wants Guimaras to be
known for producing clean renewable energy, in line with his commitment to combat
climate change.

“Balangaw: The Climate Justice Ship Tour” is part of Greenpeace’s five-month

“Climate Change and People Power” tour of Southeast Asia. The Philippine leg
started from February 14 to 18 in Manila, followed by a protest action at the Shell
Batangas refinery on February 21. From Guimaras, the ship will sail to Tacloban in
Eastern Visayas, arriving on February 28 and staying until March 4, before it sails on
to Indonesia.

Guimaras oil spill

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Guimaras oil spill

 Map showing the extent of the Guimaras oil spill.

Location Guimaras Strait, Philippines

10°13′N 122°30′ECoordinates:  10°13′N 122°30′E
Coordinates

Date 11 August 2006

Cause

Cause Sinking of M/T Solar 1 during storm

Casualties 1 dead, 2 missing

Operator Sunshine Maritime Development Corporation, Petron

Corporation[1]

Spill characteristics

Volume 500,000 litres (110,000 imp gal; 130,000 US gal)

The Guimaras oil spill occurred in the Panay Gulf on August 11, 2006 when the oil
tanker M/T Solar 1 sank off the coast of Guimarasand Negros islands in the Philippines, causing
what is considered as the worst oil spill in the country.[2][3]

Contents
  [hide] 

 1Background
 2Causes
 3Effects
 4Casualties
 5Response
o 5.1Local response
o 5.2International response
 6References

Background[edit]
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this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may
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The oil tanker M/T Solar 1, carrying more than two million liters of bunker fuel, sank during a violent
storm approximately 20.5 kilometres (12.7 mi) off the southern coast of Guimaras at around midnight
on August 11, 2006,[4] causing some 500,000 litres (110,000 imp gal; 130,000 US gal) of oil to pour
into the gulf, that traveled up through the Guimaras Strait and Iloilo Strait. Siphoning the remaining
1.5 million liters from the sunken tanker, at a depth of more than 600 metres (2,000 ft), was
scheduled for March 2007.
The oil spill adversely affected marine sanctuaries and mangrove reserves in three out of
five municipalities in Guimaras Island and reached the shores of Iloilo and Negros Occidental. The
oil spill occurred in the Guimaras Strait that connects the Visayan Sea with the Sulu Sea, and is
considered a rich fishing ground that supplies most of the demand for the entire country. (NDCC,
August 2006)
Haribon sent two biologists to Guimaras to assess the damage and talk to the affected communities
regarding their immediate needs. Haribon provided assistance particularly for the long-term
rehabilitation of the area. The government evacuated the affected families who had been exposed to
the toxic elements of the crude oil. According to reports gathered in the field, people contracted skin
diseases associated with these elements. [citation needed]

Causes[edit]
Several causes have been cited, including bad weather and human error. Allegations have been
made stating that the tanker only had a capacity of 1.2 million liters, implying the possibility of
overloading.[5] Other investigations have claimed that the ship's Captain was not qualified to sail the
vessel.[citation needed]

Effects[edit]
The Taklong Island National Marine Reserve was severely damaged. This bird was rescued in one of the
mangroves being cleaned up.

The spill damaged Taklong Island National Marine Reserve, a marine sanctuary for feeding and
breeding ground for fish and other species.[2] The oil slick also posed a threat to the blue
crab industry in the municipality of Enrique B. Magalona in Negros Occidental.[6]
Dr. Jose Ingles, eco-region coordinator of the World Wide Fund for Nature in the Philippines,
Indonesia and Malaysia, said that the damage may be felt by at least two generations. He warned
that the disaster may have damaged the reefs and mangroves, scarring the ecosystem and causing
seafood yields to significantly decrease. According to him, the worst hit would be the shorelines, the
coasts and the swamplands with mangroves. This will greatly impact the livelihood of the fishermen,
mostly living in poor conditions.[7]
In the south-southeast of the spill site is located the Sulu Sea, a deep-water area frequented by
commercially valued fish such as blue marlin and the yellowfin tuna, prized by the towns of southern
Negros Occidental province as an important source of income for the communities. The oil slick may
damage this thriving local industry.[citation needed]
On August 22, 2006, the Philippine Coast Guard stated that the spill has affected 20 communities in
4 municipalities in Guimaras. It also threatened 27 communities in Iloilo province and 17 others
in Negros Occidental.[8]

Casualties[edit]
A villager from Barangay Lapaz, Nueva Valencia, Guimaras, became the first casualty directly
affected by the spill. He died after inhaling the fumes of the oil sludge caused him to contract cardio-
respiratory disease.[8] Two sailors from the ship were also reported missing.

Response[edit]
Due to the extent of the disaster, the cleanup was expected to reach three years. [2]
Local response[edit]

Cleanup in Barangay La Paz, Nueva Valencia, Guimaras

On August 19, the Philippine government has asked the governments of Indonesia, Japan and
the United States to help assist with the cleanup.[9]
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo created Task Force Guimaras on August 22 in order to oversee
both the cleanup of the oil spill and the retrieval of the 1.5 million liters of fuel oil still remaining inside
the tanker. The government also ordered the creation of the Special Board of Marine Inquiry to
determine who and what caused the spill.[3]
Guimaras Governor JC Rahman Nava has objected to the proposal of disposing the oil wastes
within the province.[8]
Clemente Cancio, President of Sunshine Maritime Development Corporation (SMDC), the company
which owns M/T Solar I, said that their foreign insurer is willing to pay the cost of damage brought
about by the oil spill.[8]
President Gloria Arroyo ordered a full investigation into the country's worst oil spill that devastated
marine ecosystems in the central Philippines. Arroyo also ordered the Justice Department to join a
special task force heading an investigation and cleanup on the island of Guimaras, where some 300
kilometers (190 mi) of coastline, including stretches of pristine beaches, had been affected by the oil
slick from the sunken tanker. "We shall do everything in our power to right the wrongs caused by this
unfortunate incident," Arroyo said after visiting the island, adding that she was deeply pained by the
disaster that she declared a "national calamity". [10]
International response[edit]
On August 17, British oil experts, sent by SMDC's foreign insurer, arrived in Guimaras to assess the
situation. SMDC stated that the experts will check the extent of the oil pollution. The Britons
conducted an aerial survey over Guimaras Island and made recommendations based on their
findings.[11][12]
A four-man team from the U.S. Coast Guard arrived on August 23 to assist in determining the exact
location of the tanker.[8]
"Heal our land, Hear our cry and heal our broken land..."
These last notes of a popular religious song echoed as local officials and the people of Guimaras Island,
the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and representatives from the United
Nations system in the Philippines gathered at the provincial capitol to launch the recovery phase of the
island after a devastating oil spill.
From November 16-17, Guimaras Governor Joaquin Carlos Rahman Nava received United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative and UN Resident Coordinator Nileema Noble
and colleagues from the UN, DENR Region 6 Executive Director Julian Amador, and representatives from
responding civil society organizations, donor institutions and corporations to move aid for the province
from relief to rehabilitation and reconstruction.

All it took was an oil spill from a sunken tanker and in an instant the environment of Guimaras island was
altered. To the people of Guimaras, it was a nightmare that no one ever expected to happen. For decades,
the people of Guimaras have put their hearts and lives to make huge strides in development and to battle
poverty in their province----only for these efforts to be washed away in the dark tide hours of an oil spill.

Last August 11, the tanker M/T Solar 1, carrying a cargo of 2 million liters of bunker fuel, sank
approximately 10 miles off the southern coast of Guimaras. A total of 58 barangays in the island and the
adjacent Iloilo province were immediately affected. A total of 7,870 families (39,004 people) were
surrounded by contaminated air and water. The fishing industry suffered the most, with some 20,000
fisher folks suddenly having no means to make a living.

Majority of the people, especially the poor in Guimaras however rely on fishing as a means of livelihood.
The province is home to the Taklong Island National Marine Reserve and the Southeast Asian Fisheries
Development Center's Research Station. More than half (57.17%) of the locals live along the 238.3-
kilometer coastline and they depend on the bounty of the sea for their livelihood. Seaweeds were also
providing additional income to coastal families. Aquaculture in the province was also flourishing until the
disaster.

With a population of 142,000, Guimaras is a small island found between the two larger islands of Panay
and Negros in the Western Visayas Region in central Philippines. The province is an agricultural and
fishing community, with rice as its primary industry and coconut a close second. But Guimaras is also
famous for its third crop---mango. Hence, its reputation as the "Mango Capital of the Philippines".

Tourism is also among its economic drivers. Time was when Guimaras was famous for its picturesque
white sand beaches, diving spots, rich marine biodiversity and verdant environment. For those who want
to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, another favorite destination is a Trappist monk's
monastery. Former President Corazon Aquino is known to have frequented this place when she was
president. The monastery provided her a place to meditate, retreat and plan with members of her cabinet
when she was president.
Originally a member of the so-called "Club 20" (a list of 20 poorest provinces in the Philippines released
in 1995), the Guimarasnons were able to pull the province up to 44th among the 79 provinces in the
Philippines in terms of economic performance by 2005.

On August 14, Governor Nava created Task Force Sunrise as a quick response to the environmental and
socio-economic disaster that hit the province. A week later, President Gloria Arroyo declared the oil spill
as a national disaster and created an inter-agency Task Force Guimaras, administered by members of the
National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC).

NDCC reports that the incident is the country's biggest oil spill in terms of volume of oil and the fragility
of the area affected where marine sanctuaries and protected sites can be found.

Phase 1 of the oil spill clean up is almost finished. The decision to do a 2nd phase is largely in the hands of
the government in answer to the question, "how clean is clean? " Phase 2 will require technical equipment
to be used by trained staff.

Oil from the tanker will be siphoned out. However, once the salvage company is chosen, it could take up to
six (6) months for the salvaging to start. The International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund (IOPC) will
bear the costs for the salvaging.

With the rapid assessment report of the provincial government completed, the efforts for Guimaras are
now shifting from immediate relief activities to long-term recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction
efforts.

The extent of the damage to the environment and to the livelihood of the Guimarasnons goes beyond the
reports seen in media and in disaster relief efforts. A lot of the hardest hit towns, like Calabagnan in
Nueva Valencia, are having very basic problems compounded by the oil spill - like the absence of safe
drinking water. They are also having problems selling fish that are safe because the buyers are fearful.
Needless to say, ecotourism - one of the three pillar industries that the province is relying on for
sustainable development (aside from fishing and agriculture) - is crippled at the moment.

Aside from the relief efforts undertaken by the UN agencies in the Philippines, UNDP has also been laying
the groundwork towards long-term rehabilitation and sustainable development. During the visit, Ms.
Noble turned over to beneficiary families livelihood programmes such as chicken production, duck eggs
production, fish culture, chicken eggs production and ginger tea production. Ms. Noble praised the local
government of Guimaras for their exemplary leadership in responding to the crisis and in even going
beyond the rehabilitation effort and toward formulating a response strategy for risk reduction.

"What is far more important is for us to anticipate," Ms. Noble said. "There are two sets of things that
need to be done: One is the integration of risk reduction in the planning processes, and the second is
coming up with a system for local communities to respond."

The UN General Assembly has adopted a resolution on "Special economic assistance for the Philippines"
which 55 UN member-states had co-sponsored. It invites the international donor community not only to
provide additional economic and technical assistance in the post-disaster recovery and rehabilitation
processes in Guimaras but also to increase their support for the strengthening of the disaster risk
management and disaster preparedness capacity of the Philippines as a disaster-prone country.

Addressing the people on the coasts during town hall meetings with their Governor and respective
mayors, Ms. Noble promised the Guimarasnons that "beyond the media and the hype, you can expect that
the UN will stay here on the ground as we heal the land together..."