Oil spill accidents normally have economic, social, environmental, and legal implications. Some accidents are caused by human errors, while others, such as that involving the Mega Borg oil tanker, are unknown. Quick intervention and collaboration are important to minimize the impact of pollution on the flora and fauna. The following essay will discuss the Mega Borg oil spill, with a focus on the legal, environmental, and legal implications. The Mega Borg oil spill caused much tension among the environmentalists and the community living close to the beaches of Texas. The oil spill was one of the largest in recent times. The incident occurred in June 1990 (Booth, 1990). Due to the large size of the Mega Borg (Norwegian Oil Tanker), it could not dock at the port of Texas. Therefore, oil had to be transferred to a smaller oil tanker, in this case, the Fraqmura . The destination of the oil was to be Houston. Only about three million gallons of the light crude oil had been transferred before an explosion occurred. The explosion was witnessed in the cargo room of the Mega Borg oil tanker before the fire spread to the engine area (Leveille, 1991). The cause of the explosion was not immediately established. Mega Borg was operating in international waters at the time of the accident, about 50 miles off the coast of Galveston, Texas. Two months before the accident, Mega Borg had passed the Coast Guard Safety inspection. That explains why even now, the cause of the accident has never been established. It was estimated that more than 4.5 million gallons of crude oil spilled into the sea. The fire consumed much of the oil, and only less than 40,000 gallons remained (Leveille, 1991). There was a deliberate effort not to extinguish the fire immediately. The rationale is that fire is a natural way of removing spilled oil. However, it causes air pollution and poses threat to sea animals. Two days after the accident, more than eight ships encircled the oil tank. Among other equipment brought to effectively deal with the fire were skimmers and fire equipment. Skimmers are designed to remove oil on the surface of the water. However, they might not be able to remove every particle, explaining why planes were used to spread dispersants. The role of the dispersants is to break down the particles of oil and make them more soluble in water. This played an imperative role in preventing more oil from spreading to the coast of Texas. Eight days later, the Coast Guard helped to put of the fire (Booth, 1990). This enabled the crew to stabilize the engine to prevent the tanker from sinking. With the fire contained, removing any remaining oil was also made possible. Later, booms were used to concentrate the spilled oil, which enhanced the removal using the skimmers. The exercise was important as it protected the flora and fauna from much pollution. Investigations were launched to establish the cause of the explosion and the subsequent oil spillage. Unfortunately, the investigation did not find any connection between the accident and human error or any other form of negligence. The cause of the accident, as aforementioned, has been known. Therefore, it was difficult to seek legal redress against the company involved. However, the incident created more attention to what was then known as the 984 protocols. This was environmental legislation that had been held up by the senate several years before the accident. One of the main reasons why the U.S had not ratified the legislation was because of the obligations and liabilities. The protocols were to make the United States take a more active role in dealing with oil spillage incidences while working together with other internal bodies. Still, the protocols were not ratified because of disagreements within the senate. The huge fire that took about eight days caused massive air pollution within the scene of the accident. However, the fire was the quickest means of preventing the oil from spreading to the mainland. Unlike other major oil spill accidents, Mega Borg did not cause significant pollution, especially on the beaches. The response team did commendable work in effectively dealing with the spillage. However, there were reports of some particles of oil along the beaches of Texas. There was fear and anxiety among the people that the accident might have contaminated the fish. Close to where the accident occurred, there are rich fishing grounds. Oil has been known to have health implications on the flora and fauna. This explained why there was fear among the communities affected. However, the response team did everything possible to minimize the environmental and social impact of the oil spill. In conclusion, oil companies and other stakeholders should have effective measures in place to prevent oil spills into the waters. The pollution caused to the waters has devastating effects on animal and plant lives. Millions of dollars are also spent in responding to the accidents. The cause of the Mega Borg oil spill was not immediately established. The response team worked tirelessly to minimize the negative impact of oil pollution on the environment and the affected communities.
References
Booth, W. (1990) "Test of Oil-Eating Microbes Starts in Gulf; Supertanker Still Leaking Crude off Texas Coast Near Galveston." The Washington Post 16 June 1990, sec. First Section: A1. Lexis Nexis.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Leveille, P. (1991). " The Mega Borg Fire and Oil Spill: A Case Study." U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Office Oil Spill Conference retrieved from n. pag.ioscproceedings.org.
