Niger Delta's Black Gold Rush: Counting the Cost of Environmental Neglect

It has emerged this week that an oil spill from an ExxonMobil pipeline in the Akwa Ibom state of Nigeria has spread up to 20 miles from it source, polluting the waters that are integral to the survival of the local fishing industry. This oil spill is the latest in a chequered history of oil production in the region which, according to the United Nations Development Programme, has seen thousands of spills both big and small and a lack of effective spill containment. For more than nine decades multinational oil companies have been conducting operations in the Niger Delta to extract the large amounts of crude oil that lay beneath the Delta Basin. And while they have achieved much success in extracting the oil, the environmental and social implications have been far reaching and are still ongoing today with oil companies seemingly acting with complete impunity. Large areas of mangrove forests have been destroyed by oil spills which seep deep into the soil contaminating the surrounding vegetation and underground watercourses. In addition, the depletion of fish stocks has been caused not only by overfishing but also by the pollution of waters from leaking and poorly maintained oil pipelines. Life expectancy has reduced drastically in the region as people become increasingly sick from consuming contaminated water and food. So what preventative measures is the Nigerian government taking to reduce the number and the impact of these spills? Last year Nigeria's oil regulator, NOSDRA, recommended that the Nigerian parliament fine Shell over £3 billion after a tanker spilled 40,000 barrels of oil into the Atlantic Ocean. However, Shell refuted the recommendation stating that they hadn't contravened any Nigerian laws and that the cause of the spill was sabotage. While it's true that many of the spills in the Niger Delta have been linked to the criminal acts of militant groups, Shell have also been criticised for the laxity of their spill response procedures in cleaning up the oil. A UN report from last year found that "The control and maintenance of oilfield infrastructure....has been and remains inadequate." Shell was accused of taking four years to contain and clean the spill while the thousands of villagers affected by the spills in the Ogoninland region are still awaiting a compensation package from Shell. Last year's report from the United Nations Environment Programme evidenced that oil companies had failed to effectively contain and clean up oil spills from up to 40 years ago, despite numerous attempts. It's executive director said that Nigerians has "paid a high price" for the riches afforded by the black gold, but that any attempt to clean up the affected region would cost initially around £614 million and take upwards of 25-30 years. http://www.yellowshield.co.uk
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Methods used for chemical spill procedures

In the last week there have been two separate chemical spillages in the UK, one at a drugs manufacturing plant in Deeside, Wales, and another at a drycleaners in Ipswich. Fire officials and ambulances were called to both incidents, and each resulted in people being admitted to hospital. The aim of this blog is to analyse the methods that would have been used to; a, Contain the spills and protect the watercourse and b, Clean up the spill and render the area safe.

Be Prepared

Preparedness is the key to dealing with chemical spills. If your business deals with hazardous liquids daily then it is essential that all employees are given adequate training to deal with spills in the correct way. If you have spill kit equipment on site then it is paramount that you have a spill procedure plan that all employees can safely carry out. If the spilled chemical is volatile or flammable then you must immediately turn off all sources of ignition and, if indoors, ventilate the area. Before attempting to tackle the spill you must ensure that you attire yourself in the appropriate PPE equipment. In cases described above the nature of the spill had been quickly identified by the first responders present at the scene. In the case of the drug manufacturing plant they enacted their emergency planning procedures and requested the presence of fire officials and paramedics. If you are unsure what type of chemical has been spilt, you can still begin to contain the spill using standard chemical absorbents, as chemical absorbents are designed to deal with most hazardous spills of an unidentified nature.

Containing the Spill

In the case of an outside spillage, as in Ipswich, the first spill containment measure to undertake would be to place chemical land booms around the perimeter of the spill, cutting off the access to unprotected drains in the surrounding area. Once the spill has been contained it can be absorbed through the deployment of chemical pads, starting at the edge of the spill and circling inwards to reduce the potential for splash and spread of the spilled liquid. In the event of an indoor spillage containment booms may not required as there is no threat to the watercourse from exposed drainage works. Chemical absorbent pads could be used to absorb the spill depending on the size and area that the spill covered. Any pads or land booms used to clean up a chemical spill would have to be disposed off as hazardous waste. The soiled absorbents can be placed into disposable bags and discarded accordingly.

Neutralising the Spill

Once the majority of the chemical has been absorbed you can then consider using a neutralizing agent to return the area to safe working conditions. The acid neutraliser is a powder that can be applied to the remainder of the spill, rendering it safe via a chemical reaction and producing an inert residue that can be disposed of as general waste. The acid neutraliser will contain a colour indicator change to notify you when the reaction has completed and the chemical has been made safe. In some cases fire fighters can dilute certain acids with water or transfer liquids to safe containers for disposal. Once the spill has been cleaned up you can then wash down the area with a mild detergent and water.
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Shake out your frost blankets - it's going to be a cold one!

Winter is again upon us and thanks to good old Iceland (harbingers of the original banking collapse and the volcanic ash clouds); forecasters are predicting a severe cold snap from the north that will send temperatures plummeting to well below the seasonal average, with the potential for harsh frosts, bitter winds and snow. So, to try and reap a boom in doom and gloom it seemed appropriate for Yellowshield to put together a "Winter Package" that helps people avoid the worst of the cold snap by enabling them to grit their drive and shovel away the dreaded snow. Consisting of one 20kg bag of Rock Salt, a Salt Scoop and a Snow Shovel for just £33 inc. delivery*, this package can keep you mobile over the winter months allowing you to clear driveways, paths or car parks, meaning you won't have to stockpile non-perishable goods from the supermarket just yet! We also supply a range of de-icing products that can help keep you mobile during the gruelling winter months. If you have a large area that you would like to spread grit over then you might want to consider using a Salt Spreader. We have these in two sizes, 20 and 35 litres respectively and both spread grit effortlessly and evenly. If you are looking to purchase a large volume of Rock Salt, then we can provide the grit bins for you to store them in, again, we have these in two sizes, 170 and 250 litres. We also supply frost blankets for protecting exposed brickwork over the harsh winter months, and seeing as the bookies have slashed the odds on a White Christmas to the shortest ever; it looks as though we're going to need them! (*Surcharges will be applied to certain parts of the UK).
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BP to plead guilty to criminal charges and receive record US criminal fine

In what will be seen as a landmark case BP is likely to be fined between £1.9bn and £3.2bn for their criminal misconduct relating to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill disaster in April 2010.  The fine will be a new record in the US, dwarfing the £819m that the drug company Pzifer was fined in 2009. It is believed that BP has agreed this amount through a plea deal with the US Department of Justice. The fine will settle the US federal government criminal and Securities and Exchange Commission claims only. BP may still face further fines from the DoJ in relation to civil claims and also claims from the affected Gulf States and other private plaintiffs. In August, the DoJ filed papers to the New Orleans federal court stating that BP's management of the oil rig evidenced "gross negligence and wilful misconduct". If this is proven in the 2013 civil trial in New Orleans, then BP could be looking at a payout in excess of £13bn. BP has already begun shedding assets to cover the costs of all claims and has so far set aside around £24bn. As was reported to the BBC back in June 2010, rig worker Tyrone Benton explained to his supervisor that a leak had been discovered weeks before the eventual explosion. Had BP rectified the problem at the time they would have had to cease drilling, resulting in millions of pounds of lost revenue. However, the decision not to repair that fault has not only resulted in the loss of billions of pounds, but also the company's reputation and has left an indelible scar on the Gulf Coast waters and shoreline. http://www.yellowshield.co.uk/
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Best Practice for Oil Spill Pays Off

On Wednesday of last week, following a routine oil transfer to a fuel barge in Port Angeles Harbour, Washington, 840 gallons of fuel was believed to have spilled into the water. Estimations later on in the week put the spill at between 50 and 100 gallons. The incident, albeit small, could have drastically damaged the marine environment had it not been for the precautions that Washington State undertake every time a transfer of fuel occurs over water.

As Curt Hart from the Washington Department of Ecology explained; "Fortunately in the State of Washington, whenever we have these large fuel transfers over water, we make sure that the oil spill containment boom is placed before the transfer starts." This sort of best practice is critical to maintaining a healthy and vibrant ecosystem, especially in areas where the potential for oil spills is high. Containment booms can be used retrospectively in an emergency oil spill situation to try and capture as much of the spilled oil before it can affect marine life, but the practice demonstrated by Washington State underlines the need for all port and harbour authorities to have in place a well drilled and pre-emptive approach to oil spills.

No birds, mammals or fish were harmed during the spill, which is currently being cleaned up by the Department of Ecology in conjunction with the US Coast Guard, the Marine Spill Response Corporation and Global Diving and Salvage.
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