DECEMBER 11, 2014 —
January 1, 2015
marks a major milestone in preventing oil spills. That date is the deadline which the landmark Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA-90) specifies for phasing out single-hull tankers in U.S. waters.
Why are single hull oil tankers banned?
Due
to the additional environmental risk involved
in operating single-hulled tankers, these vessels have been banned from carrying heavy grade oil to and from European ports. …
What is a single-hulled tanker?
Single hull has
only one outer watertight layer which runs throughout
the structure of the tanker ship. As a result of only one layer, single-hull tankers pose a greater threat to the marine environment during any kind of accidents.
What did the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 do?
(1990) The Oil Pollution Act (OPA) of 1990
streamlined and strengthened EPA’s ability to prevent and respond to catastrophic oil spills
. A trust fund financed by a tax on oil is available to clean up spills when the responsible party is incapable or unwilling to do so.
Did the Exxon Valdez have a double hull?
Oil Pollution Act of 1990
Exxon Valdez was a single-hulled tanker; a
double-hull design
, by making it less likely that a collision would have spilled oil, might have prevented the Exxon Valdez disaster.
What is the purpose of a double hull?
The main purpose of the double hull is
to reduce the probability of oil outflow following a collision or grounding
(1). 1 If a segregated ballast tank on a single-hull tanker is breached, no oil will be spilled (unless the ballast water is contaminated). Some ships have only double bottoms or double sides.
What is single-hull submarine?
Submarines can be divided into those with a Single Hulls and those with Double Hulls. The former has only one layer of steel between the crew and the open ocean while the latter has an external outer hull which completely encases the occupied inner hull.
How thick is a tanker hull?
Tanker hulls must be made with double construction, while other transport vessels, such as those for containers and bulk dry cargo, must have double-hull construction only in their fuel tank areas. While the outer hull is 14 to 19 mm thick, the
inner hull may be 12 to 14 mm thick
.
Are all ships double hulled?
Double hulls or double bottoms have
been required in all passenger ships for decades
as part of the Safety Of Life At Sea or SOLAS Convention.
Did the Titanic have a double hull?
It had a double hull. …
The Titanic’s hull boasted a double bottom
, but it had only a single wall on the sides. It had fifteen sections that could be sealed off at the throw of a switch, but the bulkheads between those sections were riddled with access doors to improve luxury service. It didn’t have enough lifeboats.
Who enforces the Oil Pollution Act of 1990?
3. Domestic production: In the Oil Pollution Act, the U.S. Coast Guard is in charge of screening the application process for vessels, however,
the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)
implements and enforces all of the Oil Pollution Act’s regulations for offshore oil facilities.
What does OPA 90 mean?
OPA 90: At a glance
The Oil Pollution Act of 1990
(33 U.S.C. 2701-2761) amended the Clean Water Act and addressed the wide range of problems associated with preventing, responding to, and paying for oil pollution incidents in navigable waters of the United States.
What do humans do to cause oil spills?
Oil spills that happen in rivers, bays and the ocean most often are caused by accidents involving tankers, barges, pipelines, refineries, drilling rigs and storage facilities, but also occur from recreational boats and in marinas. Spills can be caused by: people
making mistakes or being careless
.
equipment breaking
…
Is there still oil from the Exxon Valdez?
A small portion of the oil from the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill still lingers in patches beneath Prince William Sound, Alaska, beaches. However, this and other studies suggests the
remaining oil is sequestered
, or buried, and currently is not posing a risk to the coastal and marine ecosystem.
What happened to the captain of the Exxon Valdez?
The National Transportation Safety Board reported Thursday that the captain of the Exxon Valdez was
legally drunk when he was tested some 10 hours after his tanker hit a reef last
week, causing the worst oil spill in U.S. history.
How much did Exxon spend on the clean up?
According to CBS, “Exxon spent
more than $3.8 billion
in clean up costs, fines and compensation.
