Oil spillage and its impact on the environmental

Introduction

According to Richard (2009) the recent demand for increasing energy supply to both local and foreign industries, synthetic raw materials, processed agricultural products and steal for the growing population have resulted in corresponding growth and expansion in crude oil producing industries as petroleum is one of the major source of energy in the world today.

Apart from the positive effect of these establishments like creation of employment opportunities, development of oil producing areas and increasing national revenue, their activities have negative effects on the environment, basically by discharging some of their products or waste products intentionally or unintentionally into the surrounding. One way in which these are discharged into the surrounding is through oil spillage and the major oil that is spilled is crude oil (Odje, 2003).

In the oil producing areas, crude oil spillage has become a problem that calls for urgent attention due to its devastating effect on the environment (Cunnigham, Cunigham, & Saigo 2005). Many communities in Niger Delta have suffered greatly from the effects of oil spillage. Department of Petroleum Resources (2004) oil spillage occurs in the flow lines, flow stations, tank farms, terminals and even refineries. The causes of oil spillage are grouped into two which include; natural causes and artificial/man-made causes. Natural causes of oils spillage can occur as a result of earthquake, flood etc. Earthquake can cause oil spillage because of the combination of gas reaction just as bad weather can introduce wind, flood can also cause oil spillage in the environment. Artificial causes of oil spillage is caused as a result of carelessness and some time unavailable events such as war, terrorism, pipeline vandalization and cleaning of storage tank if not well controlled (Chinweze, 2007).

Definition of oil spillage

Unuraye and Olojoba (2003) defined oil spillage as the process whereby oil is discharged on the land, water bodies, upland surface water such as stream, river, seas, as well as  ground waste resulting in contamination with its intense health hazards dangerous to lives.

Oil spillage is also defined as the release of liquid petroleum oil into the environment either deliberately or accidentally (Olojoba, 2009). Oil spillage can occur through equipment breaking down, during war, terrorist, natural disasters etc.

Causes of oil spillage

In spite of all the efforts of the designers, constructors and operators, spillages do occasionally occur. Numerous factors are responsible for oil spillage as was suggested by Otalekor (2002) that these factors may be classified into five main categories or more;

1. Pipeline vandalization
2. Oil production operation error
3. Corrosion
4. Natural hazards
5. Mechanical failure.

Pipeline vandalization: Pipeline vandalization refers to the illegal or unauthorized activities that involve the destruction of oil pipelines to disrupt supply or the puncturing of oil pipelines to siphon crude oil or its refine products in order to appropriate it for personal use or for sale in the black market or any other outlet. The art is usually regarded as an act of sabotage. It is a capital offence under the petroleum act and it covers the criminal justice decree of 1975 (miscellaneous provision) pipeline vandalization is further caused by;

1. Grievance due to environmental claim: Most oil producing communities are experiencing environmental claim by the oil industry. Also, some leaders collaborate with the oil companies and the government and take contracts at the expense of the welfare of the community thereby leading to the said grievance which result to the involvement in the act of vandalization or sabotage (Olojoba, 2009).
2. Unemployment: This is another reason for grievance by the youth that usually lead to oil producing communities feeling that the oil found in their environment is a basic revenue to the nation which help in boosting the macro-economic youth of the nation and yet they as the host community are not given employment or contract from oil sector regardless of the oil found in their environment. The oil communities complain that oil companies employ foreign workers in the oil sector and the governments are getting wealthier at the expense of the welfare of the communities neglecting the host communities and leaving them unemployed. Meanwhile four decades of oil spillage has waste their farm land and fishing business thus destroying the traditional occupation which their fathers and grand fathers before them had relied on. At the face of all these problems, their grievance against the oil company and their government lead to pipeline vandalization.

Oil Production Operation Error

During production, there might be failure from the equipment, blow-out of oil leading to spillage. In the marine environment, there is bound to be operational discharge which could be minor or major (Olojoba, 2009).

Corrosion

This occurs as a result of rupture of rust effect in pipeline, tanks and other equipment. Every metal has a natural tendency to revert back to its original mineral form and the more high processed finished metal, the more easily the reversion phenomenon occurs. It is also said that electro-chemical reaction between the metal and its environment in which the steed reverts causes corrosion to the pipe thereby leading to oil spillage (Unuraye & Olojoba, 2005).

Natural hazard

This is related to damage arising from land slide and flooding, such occurrence are in any case extremely rare and the risk is reduced by careful routine investigation to avoid possible problem areas such as in  mining regions and by intelligent, observation of warming signs during periodic inspection (United States Department of Defense (USDD), 2007).

Mechanical failure

This may be further subdivided into failure attribute to faults in construction and those arising from defects in materials or components. Historically, both sources have been responsible for spillage from pipeline in the past. The high standards of construction and inspection applied by the oil industry have drastically reduced the potential for this type of failure.

Effects of oil spillage

Odje (2003) a medical doctor in Omoku said that air and water borne contamination in a community are more than a nuisance. He urged that when 10% of the community’s population feel sufficient respiratory distress to seek medical aid, a health crisis exists. He further added that there are frequent causes of water borne diseases, cholera is a regular feature in this area. He concluded by saying that those living close to gas flares stand the risk of developing respiratory disease. The gas flaring pollutes water and causes skin irritation he added.

Environmental Pollution Centre (EPC) (2009), and other international environment organization survey reports in rivers state revealed that there is wide spread of water and oil pollution resulting to the death of most aquatic eggs and juvenile stages of life of fan-fish and shell-fish and sensible animals like oyster.

Oil spillage has impact on the following:

Impacts of oil spillage on the environment

Environmental degradation is another name for environmental pollution and it is a systematic method or way of reducing the beauty, natural setting of an environment due to an unhealthy situation. According to Olojoba (2009), it is an act of reducing effective situation to unsafe, dangerous and uncomfortable to the inhabitants. It is also defined as the complete change in the physical, social, emotional, chemical and biological features of the environment creating harm and unpleasant condition to life and this may result from activities like oil spillage. The effects of oil spillage on the environment can be divided into the following;

(a). Impacts on air: evaporated hydrocarbon gas from flow stations tend to mix up with the surrounding air thereby  polluting the atmosphere and some of the diseases associated with air degradation are asthma, lung cancer, chronic bronchitis, chest pain etc. explosive discharge by seismic operation during oil exploration takes place with the removal of a large part of the soil from the ground and scatters it into the upper part of the atmosphere in tiny particles thereby forming dust particles in the air which when inhaled causes some respiratory tract infections (Unuraye & Olojoba, 2005).

(b). Impacts on water: oil spillage lead to water pollution and contamination of underground water, stream, rivers, ponds which serves as communities’ source of drinking water. Assisted by capillary drainage and gravity, oil spillage on land eventually finds its way to the water table and underground water sources. The extent of effects and rate of down ward movement depends on the factors such as soil texture, depth of water table, viscosity and quality of the oil spillage as it reaches the water table. It spreads from thin layer of the water table to considerable distant body of the portable water thereby contaminating water (Wout, 2015).

Impacts on animals

When there is oil spillage, the hydrocarbons are deposited on the plants, grasses, thus contaminating them; animals that come in contact with these hydrocarbons during grazing tends to be exposed to serious health hazards which could lead to high mortality rate in animals. One of the diseases that animals can contract in this process is fluorisis which is characterized in animals by melted teeth and a condition of the joints known as exostosis leading to lameness and death (Olojoba, 2009).

Impacts on plants

Agricultural products are affected as a result of the pressure of the spill on the soil leading to the destruction of the plants and thereby resulting in low agricultural productivity. In other words when plants are affected the result is reduction in growth and crop yield. However, hydrocarbons can block stomata in plants leaves thereby reducing the passage of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into leaf and exit of oxygen from leaf during photosynthesis, sunlight reaching the interior of the leaf is also reduced (Olojoba, 2009).

Impacts on human health

According to Richard (2007), the lethality of oil and its compound is infallible, exposure to hydrocarbons causes’ injury to the internal organs. It has been discovered that the carcinogen has the ability to react with the DNA in such a way as to cause cancer.

Olomukoro (2005) in his own view said that they heavy metals present in crude oil accumulation in fishes and other aquatic creatures and when consumed by individuals, such individual tend to be infected. The hazardous effect of consuming petroleum could be long term with possible poisoning of the blood and heart as well as leading to cancer. Apart from the above stated effect, it has been speculated by some quarters that the Jesse fire accident of October 27, 1998 and Ekakpamre 1999 episodes are caused by oil spillages which claimed so many lives and properties.

Prevention/control measures of oil spillage

According to Olojoba (2009) since oil pollution has deleterious impacts on human beings, vegetation and marine life and constitute hazard to organisms and make land infertile, a major source of livelihood of the people, control or mitigating measures becomes very mandatory. Oil spillage therefore, require rapid response scientists who will always be available in the Niger Delta Region area of operation trained control and manage spill. It may include the following:

1. Training of persons for oil pollution and prevention, enable decisions to be made properly and will produce sufficient and competent personnel’s to manage pollution. This is where Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA) becomes very necessary. The government, non-governmental organization, oil companies, etc through the provision of personal material and funds.
2. The trained scientist should be involved in ongoing research in soil and water affected by oil spillage, using environmental friendly effective materials.
3. There should be an immediate replacement of oil weak and fragile oil pipelines and the recycling of new lines deeply buried in the soil to minimize and prevent spillage due to burst of pipes. Environmental friendly policies are required to be enforced in repairing all degraded habitant and communities through the rehabilitation of previous programs, projects and the establishment of new ones.
4. Oil companies should provide ways of making oil spillage by vandalization (sabotage) less lucrative.
5. Community education and integration necessary to increase awareness among the people on the danger of destruction of lives and properties as well as kidnapping but rather seeking redness through legal means.
6. There should be regular forum for the consultation and interaction of all the oil producing areas stake holders (e.g. kings, chiefs, youth leaders, oil companies) and the Governmental so as to deliberate on pertinent environmental issues.

The role of government agencies in the control of oil spillage

According to Olojoba (2009) explain some role of government agencies as follow.

1. Initiates policies and legislation for protection and development of environment. Also drastically revising updating, and effectively implementing the oil mineral exploitation acts to ensure adequate landscape restoration in all the exploration regions.
2. Effective legislation and physical control of oil spillage with stiff penalties imposed on the defaulters and adequate compensation being paid to victims.
3. Prepare periodic master plans for the development of environmental science and technology and advice implementation of such plans.
4. Promote co-operation in environmental science and technology with similar bodies in other countries and with internal bodies connected with the protection of the environment.
5. Establish environmental criteria guideline, specification or standard for the protection of the nation’s environmental health and welfare of the population from environmental degradation.
6. Establish adversary bodies composed of administrative technical or other to minimize damage to the environment.
7. Establish procedures for industrial or agricultural activities in order to minimize damage to the environment.
8. Encourage and promote expansion of research, experiments, surveys and studies by public or private agencies, institutions and organization concerning causes, effects, extent, prevention and reduction and elimination of pollution and other related environmental protection from time to time as the agencies may determine necessary and useful.
9. Conduct public investigation on pollution and alert the public on provisions in environmental issues.
10. Collect and make available, through publications and other appropriate means and in co-operation with public and private or other organization, basic scientific data and other information pertaining to pollution and environmental protection matters.
11. Use sustainable part of the revenue generated from oil to embark and develop alternative and renewable resources.
12. Use part of money accrued from oil to empower the people in the areas by creating job opportunities for them.
13. Use substantive amount of the soil derivation for physical development of the area and provision of social amenities and services such as health education, roads, water and electricity.
14. The government should properly without any bias, address the issues of offshore-onshore dichotomy.
15. There should be equality and fairness on the part of government and oil companies concerning oil exploitation and environmental issues.
16. The federal government and the oil companies should develop chosen co-operation in solving the problems of underground water contamination due to spillage and clean up of the polluted area to restore sources of fresh water.

References

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Wout, B. (2015). Crisis-induced learning and issue politicization in the EU: the Braer, Sea Empress, Erika, and Prestige oil spill disasters. Retrieved on 12^th September, 2015 from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com