Twenty-one years ago, the oil tanker Exxon Valdez spilled
its contents into Prince William Sound, Alaska.
At that time, it was the largest spill in U.S. waters. On April 20,
2010, an oil rig operated by BP plc exploded and sank 5,000 feet below the ocean's
surface. Oil began to leak at a rate of about
5,000 barrels (210,000 gallons) per day.
Because the spill was not immediately contained, oil continued to spread
through the Gulf of Mexico – and could even spread to the Atlantic Ocean.
Spread and Impacts
Engineers are working around the clock to stop the flow of
oil. The spill impacts all levels of the
Gulf of Mexico's ecosystem and life. The
water serves as a lifeline for the animals, fishermen, shippers, and more –
including, of course, oil rigs like the one that is the source of the leak.
All citizens, not just those surrounding the Gulf of Mexico,
could face problems due to the spill.
Jobs may be lost, for example, if there is no seafood to catch. There could be delays in shipping if the waterways
remain delayed. Worse, if not contained,
the oil could spread out into the open ocean and up the east coast of the U.S. and
beyond.
Animal Rescue and
Cleanup
Many people remember the commercials depicting oil-covered
animals being cleaned up after the Exxon Valdez spill. It's not as simple as dunking the wildlife in
buckets of Dawn, however. According to Discovery.com
"volunteers must undergo hazardous waste operations training before they can
work with oil-affected animals."
Deciding whether to save an animal is difficult. Rescuers triage based on different factors
such as chance of survival, expense, and expected quality of life after
survival. Some of other factors used
include:
- General physical condition
and lab work
- Life stage, molten
feathers
- Size
- Threat to rescuers
- Percentage of body covered
in oil
- Level of suffering
- Rescuer's knowledge of
species
Caring for Affected
Animals:
There are seven parts to treating and rescuing wildlife
impacted by an oil spill:
- Search for and collect
oiled wildlife.
- Fully examine the
animals.
- Warm, feed, and hydrate before
allowing them to rest for 48 hours.
- Wash in a series of tubs
filled with hot water and a diluted cleaning agent.
- Place in outdoor pools (or
appropriate housing) for pre-release conditioning for a minimum of three
days and up to several months.
- Fully examine the animals,
band or tag, and release into clean habitat.
- Complete a post-release
assessment by monitoring the tagged animals via radio devices.
Anyone can report animals affected by the Gulf of Mexico oil
spill by calling (866) 557-1401.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exxon_Valdez_oil_spill
http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/topic_subtopic_entry.php?RECORD_KEY%28entry_subtopic_topic%29=entry_id,subtopic_id,topic_id&entry_id(entry_subtopic_topic)=809&subtopic_id(entry_subtopic_topic)=2&topic_id(entry_subtopic_topic)=1
http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/book_shelf/1882_cumulative2.pdf
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=927059
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Mexico_Oil_Spill
http://news.discovery.com/animals/oil-spill-wildlife-clean-up-process.html
http://news.discovery.com/animals/oil-spill-wildlife-rescue-why-some-animals-receive-priority-care.html
http://i.usatoday.net/communitymanager/_photos/science-fair/2010/04/30/pelicanx-wide-community.jpg (image)
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