Coast Guard

Technical Report · Sat Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1991

OSTI ID:5595238

This paper reports that about 16,000 oil spills involving the release of more than 46 million gallons of oil took place in U.S. navigable waters in 1988; spills at water-front facilities, where vessels load and unload oil, accounted for about half of the oil spilled. While the Coast Guard acknowledges its responsibility for regulating and inspecting waterfront facilities, it efforts in this area have fallen short because it has not been inspecting portions of intrafacility pipes that transport oil between docks and storage tanks. Water pollution and noncompliance with federal oil pollution prevention regulations continue to be high at waterfront facilities. Yet the Coast Guard cannot determine how effective its inspection program has been in reducing the risk of oil spills because information on program results, such as the types, severity, and frequency of deficiencies found by inspectors, is not compiled an linked with information on the causes of oil spills found by investigators. Until the Coast Guard collects this type of information, it will not be in a position to establish measurable goals.

• Research Organization: General Accounting Office, Washington, DC (United States). Resources, Community and Economic Development Div.
• OSTI ID: 5595238
• Report Number(s): GAO/RCED-91-161
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020900* -- Petroleum-- Environmental Aspects
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290300 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment
Health
& Safety
CONTAINERS
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HARBORS
INSPECTION
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
OIL SPILLS
PETROLEUM
PIPELINES
POLLUTION
POLLUTION REGULATIONS
REGULATIONS
SHIPS
TANKS
US COAST GUARD
US DOT
US ORGANIZATIONS
WATER POLLUTION