An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially
the marine ecosystem, due to human activity. This is a form of pollution which is classified both
on the water (ocean and coastal waters) and land. The oil spills can be from,
· Crude oil from tankers
· Offshore platforms
· Drilling rigs
· Oil wells
· Bunker fuel oil
The harmful effects of the oil spills include,
· Penetration of oil into the plumage and fur of birds and mammals respectively. The effects
include reduced insulation ability and less buoyancy over water
· Biological imbalance over the flora and fauna of the region
Post oil spill, the cleanup and recovery is a difficult process and depends on factors which are,
· Type of oil spilled
· Temperature of the water (affecting evaporation and biodegradation),
· Type of shorelines and beaches involved.
No matter how less or how much the oil spill is, it leads to disastrous consequences for the
society both economically and. As a result, oil spill accidents have initiated intense media
attention and political uproar, bringing stringent regulations from the governing body and
quicker response from the team to contain the oil spill in event of any leakage or spillage.
MAJOR EVENTS AND DATES
Among the land oil spill being still a problem that could be tackled due to timely help, maritime
pollution was becoming a bigger threat. With a large flora and fauna getting affected, the
International Maritime organization decided to implement strict maritime oil pollution
prevention regulations to monitor the oil spills due to continuous pressure from the end of the
government of the affected country.
1954-IMO implemented OILPOL.
1967-The wreck of Torrey canyon sparked controversy and resulted in a series of conventions,
including further amendments to the 1954 Convention, which were adopted in 1969.
1971-The International Convention for the prevention of pollution of the sea by oil, 1954,
(OILPOL) was amended again, however it was generally felt that an entirely new instrument was
required to control pollution of the seas by ships.
1973-IMO convened a major conference to discuss the whole problem of marine pollution by
ships. It resulted in the adoption of the first ever comprehensive anti-pollution convention, the
International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships and thus MARPOL was
born with the objective of minimizing pollution of the oceans and seas and preserve the marine
environment.
1978-IMO convened a Conference on Tanker Safety and Pollution Prevention, which adopted a
protocol to the 1973 MARPOL Convention introducing further and stricter measures which
included requirements for certain operational techniques and a number of modified
constructional requirements. The Protocol of 1978 relating to the 1973 MARPOL Convention in
effect absorbs the parent Convention with modifications. This combined instrument is commonly
referred to as MARPOL 73/78 and came into effect in October 1983. The Convention has been
amended as required on several occasions since then.
THE FAILURE OF OILPOL (TORREY CANYON AND AMOCO CADIZ)
1. TORREY CANYON
The Steam Ship Torrey Canyon was an LR2 Suezmax Class oil tanker with a cargo capacity of
