Oil spill is rated 2d worst on river

[Desperadoe]

Officials estimate the ship lost 265,000 gallons. The probe and cleanup should take months.
By Troy Graham
Inquirer Staff Writer

Coast Guard officials said yesterday they had arrived at what they called an accurate estimate of how much oil spilled into the Delaware River from a Greek tanker in November - 265,000 gallons, just shy of the worst spill in the river's history.

"Because of all the variables... we are satisfied that an 'accurate estimate' is the best we can hope for," Capt. Jonathan Sarubbi, the Coast Guard's head of the Port of Philadelphia, said in a statement.

The heavy Venezuelan crude poured from the Athos I as the ship was maneuvering toward the Citgo Petroleum Corp. refinery in West Deptford on Nov. 26.

The worst oil spill on the Delaware was in 1989, when the Presidente Rivera spilled 300,000 gallons of heating oil after running aground near Marcus Hook. But that spill affected less shoreline.<snip>

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/front/10650285.htm

[HysteryDiagnosis]

1. "Spill" is something that you do on your kitchen counter, just like I did

this moring, dog tired from work, (rough week) still on meds for ear (shouldn't have gone to work this week) when I left the damn pot out from under the espresso machine and turned it on. Yes, I was groggy, tired, but really, a spill is a minor thing. These events should be called what they are, environmental disasters.... not "spills".

THAT IS A SPILL. IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF SHIPS THAT CARRY OIL WERE JUST.... OH SAY... SMALLER. IMAGINE IF SMALLER WAS BETTER, LESS WAS MORE. IMAGINE IF THE LAW STATED THAT A TANKER COULD ONLY BE SIZE "X". IMAGINE IF THE OIL COS JUST HAD TO EAT THAT LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA COST FOR SHIPPING THEIR CRUDE IN A MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFE AND FRIENDLY MANNER. IMAGINE IT.

But you ain't gonna see it as long as maximizing profits is the game, and CEO's remain in$ane.

[TxRoadHawg]

2. Oh I can imagine it alright

because it happens everyday. There is a law on the size of oil carrying vessels and what areas they can go into. All ships carrying crude and oil products are now double hulled to prevent leaks, that is US flagged ships, not European. The oil company's do pay more for shipping and it's an investment worth every penny.

[Quakerfriend]

3. So, so true!

What ever happened to the plan to require all oil tankers to have double hulls??

[SidDithers]

4. New tankers have to be double hulled...

when old, single hulled tankers are taken out of service, they are replaced with ones that are double hulled.

Sid

[HysteryDiagnosis]

5. Do double hulled tankers ever have "spills"???

[BigMindTinyHead]

6. I left the damn pot out from under the espresso machine and turned it on

Was it by chance powered by oil fuel electricity?

[d.l.Green]

7. Part of the problem

...is that the river needs dredging for such ships to pass through safely. Apparently the tide was low and as is typical with these accidents the ship wasn't following navigational protocol. I hear that the metal object that it hit in the river bottom may have been there for close to 100 years.

But ultimately these ships should be double-hulled and bonding and insurance for such accidents should be secured for their entire trip. If it was a financial burden to run such ships, it would encourage more secure ships. But that would be a tough one with the oil industry and the insurance industry in total control of our government.