Radical Environmentalism, The New Approach: The Removal of Oil as a Primary Goal of Oil Spill Clean Up

by Van M. Brown, Univ of Rhode Island, Kingston, United States,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Coastal Zone '91

Abstract:

In this paper the author examines the alternative methods of abating a catastrophic oil spill and compares these methods to the controlled burning of an oil spill using a fire-resistant boom. He discusses the environmental impacts of burning versus not burning the spill, and the various costs of rapid response using the different methods. Fire booms have the ability to respond faster than most methods, achieve a very high removal and are comparatively low cost. This paper shows that burning of the oil is one of the most environmentally appropriate methods of removing oil from the water.

Subject Headings: Hazardous materials spills | Water pollution | Water conservation | Fires | Disasters and hazards | Combustion | Benefit cost ratios | Alaska | United States

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