Facts About Oil Spills

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Oil spills are perhaps the most harmful side effect of the oil industry. Images of birds and fish coated in black goo (что-то липкое) provide a haunting reminder (настойчивое напоминание) of the inherent (присущий, свойственный) dangers in transporting crude oil.

Response

o The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) spearheads (инициировать) the nation's efforts to prevent, prepare for and respond to oil spills. However, If an oil spill occurs (случаться, происходить) in coastal or deep waters, the U.S. Coast Guard is the first response agency on the scene.

Largest Oil Spill

o Prince William Sound in Alaska was home to the largest oil spill in history. In March of 1989, Exxon Valdez spilled 11 million gallons of crude oil there.

Location

o Oil spills can occur in rivers, oceans and bays (бухта, залив). They usually happen when barges, tankers, pipelines or storage facilities have a catastrophic accident.

Causes

o Oil spills are caused by a number of factors. Operator error, equipment failure, natural disasters and acts of terrorism have been contributing (вносить вклад) factors to oil spills in the past.

Types

o Oil spills spread (распространяться) rapidly over water and can float on the surface. This thin layer is called an oil slick. Once the oil spill spreads, it becomes thinner and thinner, forming an oil sheen (радужная пленка). This type of oil spill is recognized by the rainbow of thin film on the water's surface.

Effects

o Oil spills can endanger the lives of marine animals, fish and birds. In attempts to clean themselves, animals often ingest the oil. Also, the oil can coat fur (шкура) and feathers (перья). Thousands of animals can be injured (быть раненым, поврежденным) or killed by the harmful effects of a single oil spill.

Date: 2015-02-16; view: 923