Amazon Venture oil spill
Amazon Venture oil spill | |
---|---|
Location | Port of Savannah, near Savannah, Georgia, United States |
Coordinates | 32°7′50″N 81°8′25″W / 32.13056°N 81.14028°W |
Date | December 4–6, 1986 |
Cause | |
Cause | Faulty valves on the MV Amazon Venture oil tanker |
Casualties | 0 |
Operator | Calluna Maritime Corporation |
Spill characteristics | |
Volume | 500,000 US gallons (1,900,000 L) |
The Amazon Venture oil spill occurred at the port of Savannah on the Savannah River in the U.S. state of Georgia. The spill, which occurred from December 4 to 6, 1986, was caused by three defective valves in the piping system of the oil tanker MV Amazon Venture, which leaked approximately 500,000 US gallons (1,900,000 liters; roughly 1,800 metric tons or 2,000 short tons)[note 1] of fuel oil into the river.
Authorities at the port were made aware of oil in the river approximately three hours after the ship began offloading its oil, but due to difficulties in locating the source of the spill, the ship was allowed to continue offloading until it completed on December 6. That same day, chemical testing revealed that the ship had been responsible for the spill. While initial estimates categorized the accident as a minor spill involving about 2,000 US gallons (7,600 L) of oil, this value quickly rose over the following days, ultimately becoming classified as a major spill. Officials focused primarily on protecting the
The spill is considered one of the worst environmental disasters in the region, with particular concern regarding the long-term effects of the contamination on the wildlife refuge. The company that operated the tanker agreed to pay $1.2 million in damages to the U.S. federal government and the states of Georgia and South Carolina, while total damage claims from the spill totaled between $7 million and $8 million.
Background
The MV Amazon Venture was a
Prior to the ship's arrival in Savannah, the Amazon Venture had been docked at the Port of New York and New Jersey, where, in mid-November 1986,[13] it was responsible for an oil spill involving approximately 35,000 US gallons (130,000 L) of oil.[14] At the time, the ship was transporting oil to Consolidated Edison, which had had an oil spill about a week prior that was in the process of being cleaned up.[15] As a result, it was not realized at the time that this new spill had occurred, and only later oil sampling confirmed that the Amazon Venture had been responsible for a leak in New York.[15]
Oil spill
Detection and response
On the night of December 4, 1986, as the Amazon Venture began offloading its cargo,
At daybreak on December 5, the Coast Guard began to perform surveys on the area of the river near the port to determine the size and scope of the spill.
Cleanup efforts
On December 9, in an effort to slow the movement of the oil upriver towards the wildlife refuge, the
On December 11, the estimate for how much oil had spilled rose from 50,000 to 500,000 US gallons (1,900,000 L),[8] which categorized the incident as a major spill.[24] This followed gauge measurements taken on December 8 that had shown a discrepancy of 500,000 US gallons between the amount of oil that had left the ship and the amount of oil that had been received at the terminal.[17] With the declaration of a major spill, a Regional Response Team was officially mobilized, although many of the constituent agencies that made up the team were already involved in handling the spill.[17] Also on December 11, the Amazon Venture departed from the port after the ship's insurer gave assurances to the Coast Guard that they would pay for the cleanup and posted a $5.2 million bond in a United States district court to cover any civil damage claims.[8] By December 13, approximately 82,280 US gallons (311,500 L) of oil had been removed, though on that same day, a representative for the Coast Guard stated that much of the oil would not be able to be recovered,[3] with the remaining contaminant allowed to dissipate naturally.[24] According to a representative for the Coast Guard, "It's not a situation where the whole river has been covered with oil. It's a situation where you have patches of oil and there'll probably be an oil sheen for a while to come. But with the activity on the river at the port and with dredging, the nature of the river front means you're going to have some oil sheen."[3] In the case of marshlands that had been contaminated with oil, NOAA recommended on allowing the oil to naturally dissipate, as a manual cleanup could have caused additional damage to that environment.[25]
On December 14,
On March 13, the Federal On Scene Coordinator, Coast Guard Captain John E. Shkor (the captain of the port for the United States Coast Guard sector that covered Savannah) officially declared the cleanup complete,[17] finishing approximately two weeks ahead of schedule.[19] The results of the cleanup included the removal of approximately 140,000 US gallons (530,000 L) of oil,[note 6] 200 cubic yards (150 m3) of oil-based debris,[17] and 200,000 US gallons (760,000 L) of oil-water mixture.[27] Of the oil that had not been collected, it was estimated that 50,000 to 100,000 US gallons (190,000 to 380,000 L) naturally evaporated, 150,000 US gallons (570,000 L) was on vegetation near the shore, and 100,000 to 150,000 US gallons (380,000 to 570,000 L) were unaccounted for.[26] An estimated 50,000 US gallons of oil entered the wildlife refuge, of which approximately 200 US gallons (760 L) were recovered.[28]
Aftermath
Following the spill, the Amazon Venture docked at the Port of Jacksonville, where a further 200 US gallons (760 L) of oil spilled from the ship.[29] This occurred despite the three faulty valves on the ship having been removed and replaced with steel plates due to residual oil that had been left in the piping system.[18] Authorities in Jacksonville had been alerted by authorities in Savannah prior to the ship's arrival and had prepared for the possibility of another oil spill, and as a result, the oil was collected shortly after the spill occurred.[18]
The spill was considered one of the worst environmental disasters in the region's history. United Press International called the oil spill "the Georgia coast's worst environmental disaster",
In total, the spill contaminated approximately 8,000 acres (3,200 ha) of the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge,
Economically, the spill directly affected tourism in the area, as tourist attractions such as the
Following the spill, the states of Georgia and South Carolina, as well as the federal government, filed damage claims against the Calluna Maritime Corporation. Additionally, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Marine Fisheries Service, the National Park Service, and the natural resources departments of both states prepared for an assessment on the natural damages done by the spill.[6] However, by early 1987, Calluna Maritime agreed to settle out of court, negating the need for an assessment. The corporation agreed to pay out $1.2 million in damages,[19] with $480,000 going to the federal government, $500,000 going to Georgia, $240,000 to South Carolina. The Fish and Wildlife Service received $386,000 from this settlement.[6] Total damage claims, including those made by the federal government, state governments, and 34 private claims, totaled between $7 million and $8 million.[14] Overall cleanup costs for the spill exceeded $5 million, which was more than the corporation's liability limit under the terms of the Clean Water Act.[4][note 7]
On April 6, 1987, the United States House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries held a hearing in Savannah pertaining to the spill to gather information on the cause of the spill, how cleanup efforts were handled, and what policy changes could be made to reduce the chances of a similar spill from occurring. The hearing included testimony from several officials who had been involved in both the initial response and cleanup efforts.[32]
See also
Notes
- specific gravity of the type of fuel oil carried by the ship.[1]
- U.S. Representative Lindsay Thomas in a hearing conducted by the United States House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries after the spill.[14] However, a report published by the United States Geological Survey gives a value for the initial estimate as 2,000 US gallons,[9] and in the same House Committee hearing, Coast Guard Rear Admiral Howard Thorsen (who was commander at the time of the Coast Guard District 7, which responded to the spill) stated that the initial estimate was 2,000 US gallons.[11]
- ^ According to Hans Neuhauser, the Coastal Director of the Georgia Conservancy at the time of the spill, booms are generally ineffective at currents greater than 1.3 knots (0.67 m/s), and currents on the Savannah River regularly exceed that speed.[13]
- ^ This date of December 7 is given in a report on the oil spill published by the United States Geological Survey, as well as in testimony given by Coast Guard Rear Admiral Howard Thorsen.[17] However, the Associated Press reported that the estimates were updated on December 10.[8]
- ^ This number of contractors is given in a report published by the United States Geological Survey. However, United Press International reported that Calluna Maritime had hired eight contractors to remove the spilled oil.[3]
- ^ This value was given in a report issued by Coast Guard Rear Admiral Howard Thorsen. However, in the same report, a scientist who had worked with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration gave a slightly different value of 150,000 US gallons (570,000 L).[26]
- ^ Based on the ship's gross tonnage, its liability limit was approximately $4.8 million.[31]
References
- ^ "Fuel Oil, [No. 6]". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on August 1, 2008. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
- ^ Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries 1987, p. 1.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Most of oilspill in river not recoverable". United Press International. December 14, 1986. Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
- ^ )
- ^ a b Stringfield 1990, p. 51.
- ^ a b c d e f "Damage Claim Nets $1.2 Million". Fish and Wildlife News. United States Fish and Wildlife Service: 15–16. May–July 1988.
- ^ a b Stringfield 1990, pp. 51–52.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Oil Spill Imperils Georgia Shellfish". The New York Times. Associated Press. December 17, 1986. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Stringfield 1990, p. 52.
- ^ Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries 1987, p. 23.
- ^ a b c d e f g Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries 1987, p. 12.
- ^ Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries 1987, p. 16.
- ^ a b Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries 1987, p. 42.
- ^ a b c d e f g Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries 1987, p. 2.
- ^ a b c Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries 1987, p. 17.
- ^ Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries 1987, pp. 12–13.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries 1987, p. 13.
- ^ a b c d Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries 1987, p. 28.
- ^ a b c d Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries 1987, p. 67.
- ^ Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries 1987, p. 57.
- ^ Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries 1987, pp. 40–41.
- ^ a b c "Savannah River Oil Spill Threat to Wildlife Area". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Publishing. United Press International. December 14, 1986. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
- ^ Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries 1987, p. 56.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Stringfield 1990, p. 53.
- ^ Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries 1987, pp. 58–59.
- ^ a b c Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries 1987, p. 58.
- ^ Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries 1987, p. 18.
- ^ Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries 1987, p. 50.
- ^ Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries 1987, p. 3.
- ^ Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries 1987, p. 41.
- ^ Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries 1987, p. 9.
- ^ Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries 1987.
Sources
- Savannah River Oilspill: Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, House of Representatives, One Hundredth Congress, First Session. )
- Stringfield, Whitney J. (1990). "Major Oil Spill on the Savannah River, Georgia and South Carolina, December 1986". National Water Summary 1987—Hydrologic Events and Water Supply and Use. National Water Summary: Hydrologic Events, Selected Water Quality Trends and Ground Water Resources. ISSN 0892-3469.
Further reading
- Mazzotta, Marisa J.; Opaluch, James J.; Grigalunas, Thomas A. (Winter 1994). "Natural Resource Damage Assessment: The Role of Resource Restoration". ISSN 0028-0739.
- Michel, Jacqueline (February 1, 1989). "Natural Resource Damage Assessment of the Amazon Venture Oil Spill". International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings. 1989 (1): 303–306. ISSN 2169-3366.
- Pfitzer, Don (November–December 1986). "Oil Spill Hits Savannah NWR". Fish and Wildlife News. United States Fish and Wildlife Service: 1–2.