Oil spills

Unintentional release of oil into the environment

• Oil spills can occur on land, underground or at sea, and are most dangerous when they directly affect impact pathways and marine ecosystems. When oil leaks into the natural environment through oil seeps, it is not considered a spill, since oil spills must be the result of human activity.

• When most people think of oil spills, they think of major catastrophes, such as the Exxon Valdez spill or the BP oil spill on the Gulf coast. However, oil spills are not limited to explosions on oil rigs and leaks in main pipelines. If oil leaks from motor vehicles, home oil tanks or other sources, it is also considered a spill. Even on land, this oil drains into waterways and eventually makes its way to lakes, the sea and coastal habitats.

The effects of an oil spill

Everyone knows oil spills are dangerous, but not everyone understands the full extent of the damage they cause. Oil spills have a far-reaching impact on the environment and on people's lives.

• Why are oil spills bad or harmful to the environment?

Oil spills represent the greatest threat to birds and marine life. When a bird's plumage becomes coated with oil, it impairs its thermal insulation, and the bird ingests the toxins while preening. Because oil floats on water, large oil slicks on lakes and oceans minimize sunlight, destroy the flora and bring about the collapse of natural food chains.

• How do oil spills affect people?

Spilled oil contains toxic chemicals that can cause cancer. It can ruin air quality and contaminate drinking water. When oil spills on coastlines, it affects everything, from recreational use to local economies that depend on the fishing, tourism and related industries.

Oil spill cleanup and prevention

• The best method for cleaning up an oil spill depends on a number of factors, including the type of spill, the amount of oil lost and the type of environment directly impacted. Common cleanup methods in waterways include the use of chemicals and biological particles to break down the oil, burning the oil and using a centrifuge to separate the oil from the water.

• Of course, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. With millions of gallons of oil spilled every year in North America alone, it is imperative that we find better ways to extract, transport and store oil so that we can avoid costly spills.

Hydrocarbon Spill Prevention Program

• Master Services has a complete oil spill prevention program for facility owners. This program makes it easy to carry out routine inspections.

• Many regulations require monthly inspections of aboveground tanks to identify high-risk problems with tanks.

• Request a copy of the inspection checklist and our online inspection-data management.

Reports required in the event of an oil spill

• If there is more than 1 gallon of oil in navigable waters or on coastlines, the spill must be reported immediately.

• Facilities required to maintain SPCC plans have a stricter reporting obligation. Any spill exceeding 42 gallons on two occasions within a 12-month period must be reported in writing to the regional office of the Panama Fire Department Safety Office.

• Spill reporting contact number: (507)274-1060