Potentially Polluting Wrecks in Marine Waters

Download or read book Potentially Polluting Wrecks in Marine Waters written by and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 77 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "There has been increased awareness and concern about the oil-pollution risks posed by sunken wrecks, both recent and relic. Recent cases such as M/T Prestige and M/T Erika, where the vessel or portions of the vessel sank with large volumes of heavy, persistent oils onboard, have triggered public demand for removal of the oil, regardless of the pollution threat. Mystery spills have been linked to older wrecks that have started leaking, such as USS Mississinewa and SS Jacob Luckenbach. Funding is usually a limitation, even when there is a responsible party, because of the high costs of oil and/or wreck removal. However, the concern is that these wrecks will eventually release their oil, either slowly or catastrophically resulting in significant damage to the environment. There are many complex issues associated with the proactive response to these potentially polluting wrecks: Which pose the greatest risks? Who should pay for assessment and removal costs? What are feasible and cost-effective technologies for assessment and oil removal? The goals of this paper are to provide an objective analysis of the current state of potentially polluting wrecks, due to the discharge of petroleum, or the substantial threat of such a discharge, and to offer considerations for addressing the issues."--Executive summary.