By Cliff Montgomery – May 31st, 2010
The federal government currently may lack the necessary resources and expertise to stop or clean up amassive oil spill, according to a Congressional Research Service (CRS) study released in April.
The report comes as the oil spill disaster off the coast of Louisiana is reaching epic proportions.
The American Spark reprints the summary to the full CRS report below:
“During the past two decades, while U.S. oil imports and consumption have steadily risen, oil spill incidents andthe volume of oil spilled have not followed a similar course. In general, the annual number and volume of oilspills have shown declines—in some cases, dramatic declines.
“The 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in Alaskan waters played a large role in stimulating actions that contributed tothis trend, particularly the decrease in the annual spill volumes. The Exxon Valdez spill highlighted the need forstronger legislation, inflamed public sentiment, and spurred Congress to enact comprehensive oil spilllegislation, resulting in the Oil Pollution Act of 1990.
“This law expanded and clarified the authority of the federal government and created new oil spill preventionand preparedness requirements.
“Moreover, the 1990 legislation strengthened existing liability provisions, providing a greater deterrent againstspills.
“After 1990, spill volume from oil tankers, the vessels that carry and have spilled the most oil, decreasedsignificantly.
“Considering that U.S. oil consumption and oil imports have increased in recent decades, the trend of decliningspill incidents and volume in past years is noteworthy. However, the risk of a major oil spill remains.
“Although recent Energy Information Administration (EIA) projections indicate that oil imports are expected tolevel off in coming years, the United States is expected to continue importing a substantial percentage of theoil it consumes.
“The threat of oil spills raises the question of whether U.S. officials have the necessary resources at hand torespond to a major spill.
“There is some concern that the favorable U.S. spill record has resulted in a loss of experienced personnel,capable of responding quickly and effectively to a major oil spill.
“Prior to actions by the 109th and 110th Congresses, the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund was particularlyvulnerable to a large and costly spill: Fund managers had projected the fund would be completely depleted byFY2009.
“Recent legislative developments have increased the oil spill liability limits and raised the tax rate that feedsinto the trust fund. With these changes in effect, the most recent projection indicates that the fund will reachalmost $1.5 billion by the end of FY2009 and crest $3.5 billion by FY2016.
“Although the trust fund is now less vulnerable to a major spill, some degree of exposure still remains, thusraising a central policy debate: How should policymakers allocate the costs associated with a major, accidentaloil spill? For example, what share of costs should be borne by the responsible party (e.g., oil vesselowner/operators), the oil industry, and the general treasury?
“No oil spill is entirely benign. Even a relatively minor spill, depending on the timing and location, can causesignificant harm to individual organisms and entire populations. Marine mammals, birds, bottom-dwelling andintertidal species, and organisms in early developmental stages—eggs or larvae—are especially vulnerable to anearby spill.
“However, the effects of oil spills can vary greatly.
“Oil spills can cause impacts over a range of time scales, from only a few days to several years, or evendecades in some cases.
“This report reviews the history and trends of oil spills in the United States [and] identifies the legal authoritiesgoverning oil spill prevention, response, and cleanup, [and it] examines the threats of future oil spills in U.S.coastal waters.”
