Oil spill response in freshwater: Assessment of the impact of cleanup as a management tool
- Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Dartmouth (Canada)
- LASMO Nova Scotia, Halifax (Canada)
A wide variety of cleanup methods has been used following oil spillage in freshwater environments, but in few cases has there been rigorous follow-up assessment of the possible environmental impact of these methods per se. Where impact of cleanup has been considered, it was largely in the context of effectiveness of oil removal, and rarely to determine any negative environmental impact that the cleanup itself might have. A review of a number of documented oil spill incidents in freshwater environments revealed the following. (1) Follow-up monitoring of spill cleanup has not been seen as a formal or integral part of the cleanup procedure, nor as a regular part of either federal or local governmental spill response. (2) Spill response in the freshwater environment has been guided largely by knowledge gained from marine spill response, and from other environmental fields, despite significant differences between freshwater and marine conditions. (3) Cleanup activities do cause environmental impacts, over and above the impact of the oiling. These include impacts on regrowth of shoreline vegetation, entrainment and enhanced persistence of oil into river and marsh sediments, long-term oiling of creek and river beds resulting from certain methodologies, and impacts from disposal of oiled soils. (4) The {open_quotes}no-action{close_quotes} (i.e. self-clean) option does not appear as a formal response in freshwater spill situations, although there are situations where no cleanup may be considered a valid response option (for example, lightly oiled wetlands). (5) {open_quotes}Habitat rarity{close_quotes} as a separate factor in determining spill response, has had little discussion or application. 57 refs., 2 tabs.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 387425
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Environmental Management, Vol. 44, Issue 4; Other Information: PBD: Aug 1995
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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