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An Overview of the Oil Accident
There was a serious maritime oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010. This accident took place about 66 miles off the coastline of Louisiana. The Deep Horizon oil seep out was deemed the largest in the history of petroleum industry. The concrete core that sealed the petroleum well fractured and caused a serious oil leak. After the submerging of the Deep-sea Horizon rig, oil flowed out of the seabed and caused a huge inferno that killed eleven workers. In addition, seventeen workers sustained serious injuries during the incident. Scientists noted that over eight thousand marine species were affected by the disaster (DellAmore, 2014, April 8). For instance, several thousands of birds, marine turtles and mammals died (DellAmore, 2014, 8). Moreover, the marine food chain was affected by the sudden death of many organisms in the sea (Pallardy, 2013). This led to significant depletion of some marine species. Consequently, the oil well was sealed in September 2010 to avoid reoccurrence of the accident (Pallardy, 2013). The cleanup was coordinated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Byrne, 2014, October 10). During the cleanup, dispersants were used to absorb the oil spillage. The contained oil was then pumped out of the sea (Pallardy, 2013).
Analysis of the Oil Accident
This accident occurred because safety measures were not taken into consideration during the implementation of the project (Pallardy, 2013). For instance, investigations revealed that the core was perhaps too weak to resist the pressure of oil since it was not properly constructed (Pallardy, 2013). Therefore, it is important to identify and find solutions to potential dangers associated with oil mining in the ocean. This accident was difficult to handle because the officials of the BP Company gave misleading information about the causes of the oil spillage. There was a serious contamination of the Gulf of Mexico because the oil spillage was widespread.
Lessons from the Disaster
The following lessons can be learnt from the oil accident. First, oil mining in marine environment requires appropriate safety measures. Second, oil companies should adhere to mining regulations to avoid accidents and losses. Third, ineffectual response to an accident can lead to serious damages. For instance, the US government noted that oil leaked from the seabed for three months at the rate of sixty thousand barrels per day (Pallardy, 2013). Unfortunately, the Federal Emergency Management Agency was unable to contain the oil spillage quickly because it lacked proper disaster mitigation strategies. Therefore, the Federal Emergency Management Agency took about two months to seal the oil well due to lack of proper equipment.
Recommendations
The following recommendations can be used to prevent a similar disaster. First, safety measures should be upheld during oil mining to avoid potential accidents. For instance, possible oil leaks in the Gulf of Mexico and other parts of the world can be avoided through regular monitoring of oil mining activities. Second, oil mining should be discouraged in the aquatic environment because it can cause a serious disaster, which can lead to irreparable damages to the environment, aquatic animals, human beings and world economy. Third, many resources should be mobilized to facilitate rehabilitation of the Gulf of Mexico and the affected marine life. Last, scientists should conduct extensive research on the impact of oil spillage in the marine environment. Moreover, the US government should be well prepared to deal with complicated disasters.
References
Byrne, D. (2014, October 10). Weekly Lecture Compilation. Retrieved from Boston University Metropolitan College, Web.
DellAmore, C. (2014, April 8). Gulf Oil Spill Not Over : Dolphins, Turtles Dying in Record Numbers. Web.
Pallardy, R. (2013). Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010. Web.
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