Santa Barbara Oil Spill (Essay Sample)

Santa Barbara Oil Spill
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Abstract
The Santa Barbara oil spill incident that happened on May, 2015 highlighted the major challenges posed by the oil drilling activities in the industry and the flaws that lead to major catastrophes such as oil spills [3]. This case will highlight the Santa Barbara oil spill, the impacts on wildlife, infrastructure, and marine life. The case will also cover other major oil spill incidences and their causes. In the last section of the discussion, an analysis of the causes of the major oil spill incident will be conducted and provide a recommendation on the engineering solutions that are required to address the problems.
Introduction
The Santa Barbara oil spill occurred on May 19, 2015, west of Refugio State Beach. A gassy smell was heard throughout the area, and firefighters were dispatched to investigate the incidence. They found a river of oil gushing into the ocean covering a total of four miles of the coastline. The accident was traced and linked to an underground pipeline a few yards from the Highway 101 and a railroad. Over 105,000 gallons of crude oil escaped while over 21,000 gallons spilled into the Pacific Ocean, causing a devastating ecological impact on the surroundings. Thousands of fish, sea lions, birds, and other Marines lost their lives [5].
Scope
The rationale of this paper is to discuss the safety issues associated with the disasters and the build of event that led to the oil spill in Santa Barbara. The case will also cover other major oil spill incidences and their causes. In the last section of the discussion, an analysis of the causes of the major oil spill incident will be conducted and provide a recommendation on the engineering solutions that are required to address the problems.
Analysis
What caused the oil spilling is still under investigations but according to the Plains All American Pipeline’s personnel Rick McMichael, the underground oil pipeline was carrying 1,300 barrels an hour which was below its maximum capacity of 2,000 barrels an hour [1]. The pipe carrying the oil ruptured spilling thousands of gallons of crude oil into the ocean and the land. The oil spread to the Butterfly Beach in Santa Barbara early on a Sunday forcing the people on the beach to vacate the area [4]. It took the crews hours to respond to an oiled sea lion pup after the report was issued in the morning. The crews arrived at around 1.00 pm, and they could not curb the situation because the oil had spread over a bigger surface in the sea. The rescue for both aquatic and land animals continued but most of them have been affected leading to a high number of deaths especially in the ocean due to lack of enough oxygen [8].
The fig. 1 below shows affected land and ocean areas.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife reported a backlog with the marine mammal that needed rescue, but they tried to save as many animals both in the sea and the land as they could. Tar balls could be seen all over the land and the ocean around eight miles off shore. More than 101,000 gallons of crude oil was released into the ground and the sea. According to K. Staff, the tar balls float above the water hence they are driven by the wind and the ocean currents [4]
The pipeline that leaked thousands of oil gallons into the environment was not equipped with the modern technology automatic shut off valve. It is one of the major pipes that are used to transport oil that was not equipped with the equipment [2]. According to the report from the Santa Barbara deputy energy director Kelvin Drude, the company that originally owned the pipeline skirted the requirement through suing the county government in the late 1980s [3]. The Plains All American Pipeline did not install the valves through the successful argument that it was supposed to be subjected to the federal oversight because the line was a part of an interstate network. In addition, the company stated that the federal regulations do not require auto shut-off valves. However, it was not clear if the devices could detect the leak or it could reduce the spill that dumped thousands of gallons of crude oil [3].
Fig 2. Collected oil tar
Is this a security or safety issue?
In every jurisdiction, there are safety and security measures and guidelines that the oil drilling industry companies are supposed to adhere to avoid environmental and ecological damages caused by potential oil spills. The exploration of oil and gas in onshore and offshore , processing, production, and transportation is a potential risk to the workers and the environment and the authorities governing oil fields are compelled to issue directions and guidelines that must be followed to prevent damage [9]. Safety and security measures are a major concern for the authorities when drilling exercise by a given company are about to begin and as such these two issues must be addressed adequately to allay any fears [3].
Fig 3. Cleaning around the beaches
There is a different between the security and safety issues as far as engineering design is concerned. Firstly, engineers develop oil facilities for safety but not for security purpose. Mostly, security is intended to protect against crimes or intentional issues that results due to ignorance or irresponsibility of the teams assigned a particular work or job. Therefore, the Santa Barbara incident was safety issue [7].
Why? Support your answer
The Plains All American Pipeline has failed to maintain its pipeline system resulting in substantial damage to the environment. The company is not following the safety measures that are outlined in the government policy that safeguard the environment from oil mining and transport. The company failed to put up automatic shut-off valves in this major pipeline in the country that connect various pipes along the country [3]. In steady of claiming to be the responsibility of the federal authority, the company was supposed to value the lives of the animals and plants. The incident occurred due to improper following of the safety measures. If the automatic shut-off valve can be able to reduce or prevent the spilling oil in case of an accident, there is no reason the company failed to install it [3].
In addition, according to the eyewitness, the emergency crews took a long time to respond to the incident. This means a proper safety respond measures have not been put aside to ensure quick rescuing in case of such an incident. Taking more than four hours to respond to such a heavy and dangerous incidents shows the level of the preparedness both the country and the company have [5].
Which Critical Infrastructures are affected?
The May 19 oil spill affected various infrastructures in the country. The energy sector was the most affected because the pipes that are used to transport oil were damaged leading to the standstill in oil transportation. The amount of the energy that is required within the city and outside the city were insufficient during this period meaning in many parts transport sector was not operating as expected. It took the time to repair the pipe for a normal situation to resume. In addition, the roads were not also left out along highway 101 which was near the spilling point. Tar ball that was brought by either the people or the motorists from the affected areas leads to the pollution along the main highway. In addition, people experienced traffic jams along the main highway as people tried to escape from the vapor cloud [8]. The railway line transport infrastructures were also affected due to the busy activities that took place across the rail line leading to delay. The oil spills also affected the ocean water through pollution. Many corpses of sea animals were reported leading to high level of water contamination that could result in diseases. The health sector was not left out because many people cleaning the areas reported health problems. The health facilities were not enough to cater for such an emergency case a situation that lead to congestion in the health centers in the city. Tourist sector infrastructures were also affected by the oil spill where various hotels along the beach were closed to pave ways for cleaning the beach. In addition, the wildlife was also hit by the oil leak where more than 13 oiled birds were rescued during the cleaning process, and others died affecting the wildlife sector [7]. The land surface was also hit by the oil as shown in the photo below.
Fig 4. Land covered with oil tar.
Identify At Least 3 Other Cases
Oil spilling is not a new issue in Santa Barbara. In January 1969 was the first time the country experienced the worst offshore oil disaster. It was so catastrophic and forced for the formation of the environmental movement that came up with regulations against the oil and gas industry to protect the coast of the California. About 3 million gallons of oil spread from the Union Oil drilling rig about five miles off the coast of California. [6].
In 1989, Exxon Valdez Oil spill incident released an estimated millions of gallons of oil into Prince William Sound Alaska. The oil spill was the worst disaster in Alaska's history. The damage occurred in an extremely sensitive ecosystem and resulted in the death of wildlife, decline in tourists’ activities, and affected commercial and recreational fishing. The oil spill was as a result of Exxon Valdez oil tanker grounding on Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska, releasing 10.1 million gallons of oil into the water for a period of five hours continuously. The spillage was attributed to human errors because of unrest on the side of crew members and broken equipment [6].
In 2010, BP recorded one of the worst oil spill accidents in history. The spill released about 4.9 million barrels of oil and caused a grave damage in the Gulf of Mexico. The spill impacted other states, including Lo...