MAJOR OIL SPILL INCIDENTS: LESSONS FOR RESPONSE PLANNING

ABSTRACT It is abundantly clear that we have a great deal to gain by preventing damaging oil spills. But what defines such spills? What are their sources, sizes, and the most appropriate response measures? To understand better what factors may help to minimize the amount of damage caused by oil spills, the authors examined case histories of major spills as reported in the Proceedings of the International Oil Spill Conferences. Data on factors related to the facility or vessel, environment, and response efforts for these spills were reviewed to identify important influences on environmental damage.