Oil Leak 295 Spill Response

From the Deepwater Horizon Report:

“ The Commission also looked at the effectiveness of the response to the spill. There were remarkable instances of dedication and heroism by individuals involved in the rescue and cleanup. Much was done well—and thanks to a combination of good luck and hard work, the worst-case scenarios did not all come to pass. But it is impossible to argue that the industry or the country was prepared for a disaster of the magnitude of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Twenty years after the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska, the same blunt response technologies—booms, dispersants, and skimmers—were used, to limited effect. On-the-ground shortcomings in the joint public-private response to an overwhelming spill like that resulting from the blowout of the Macondo well are now evident, and demand public and private investment. So do the weaknesses in local, state, and federal coordination revealed by the emergency. Both government and industry failed to anticipate and prevent this catastrophe, and failed again to be prepared to respond to it”

In the case of the Moray Firth – both MCA and a leading global oil spill equipment manufacturer have confirmed that it is not possible to prevent oil spills reaching the shore line. The proposed sites are simply too close to land. 3.5 meter tide rises and strong eddy currents, where two estuaries meet, mean shoreline contamination would be inevitable. Have we learned nothing?