When you consider how oil gets into our waterways. Your mind likely goes to the devastating oil spills, involving oil tankers and drilling rigs that make news headlines. However, those kinds of incidents aren’t even the biggest contributing factors to oil pollution.
Below, we’ll explore some of the top sources of oil spills and how oil makes its way into the ocean.
Land-Based Runoff
It might come as a surprise, but land-based runoff is actually the number one source responsible for oil in our waterways. In fact, the oil pollution from runoff is actually 20 times higher today than it was 20 years ago.
Runoff occurs when rain or snowmelt picks up oil from parking lots, driveways, highways, and roads. And then passes through drains that deposit the contaminated water into rivers that eventually feed into the ocean. The oil might come from vehicles leaking oil on the road. But it can also come from humans washing their cars in their driveways and improperly dumping motor oil.
Natural Oil Seeps
Not all oil found in the water comes from human interference. In some cases, crude oil naturally leaks out of the seafloor through fractures or sediments. Known as oil seeps, these natural phenomena release roughly 5 million gallons of oil into the ocean each year. And have been doing so for thousands of years, making them the second largest cause of oil in the sea.
Oil Spills from Vessels
Though they’re not the biggest sources of oil in our waterways, oil spills are still responsible for roughly eight percent of overall oil pollution. These spills can come from incidents involving oil tankers, barges, and other vessels. Sometimes through an accidental leak, ship collision, or a purposeful oil release. That said, the number of oil spills has actually significantly dropped in recent years. Particularly due to stricter legislation like the Oil Pollution Act of 1990.
Offshore oil operations involving oil extraction and exploration contribute to around three percent of the total amount of oil that leaks into the ocean. Rigs, wells, offshore platforms, and pipelines are all common sources of oil spills. Particularly when pipelines rupture, rigs explore, and platforms experience damage. Of course, the 2010 Deepwater Horizon incident in the Gulf of Mexico was the most infamous oil spill involving offshore oil production. When an explosion on the drilling rig caused roughly 4.9 million barrels of oil to leak into the ocean.
Addressing Oil Spills
While nature is responsible for some of the oil seeping into our oceans, human activity is still a leading cause of oil pollution. Stricter legislation regulating certain aspects like stormwater drainage and vessel spills is helping to reduce oil leaks, but there’s still much to be done to protect our waterways. Contact us today to learn more about Falvey Insurance Group’s spill response network and what it’s doing to help mitigate oil spills and pollution.
