Breaking News: Oil Spills

Filters close
Released: 10-Jul-2014 10:30 AM EDT
Straits of Mackinac ‘Worst Possible Place’ for a Great Lakes Oil Spill, U-M Researcher Concludes
University of Michigan

Because the strong currents in the Straits of Mackinac reverse direction every few days, a rupture of the oil pipeline beneath the channel would quickly contaminate shorelines miles away in both lakes Michigan and Huron, according to a new University of Michigan study commissioned by the National Wildlife Federation.

4-Jun-2014 12:40 PM EDT
CSB to Discuss Macondo Oil Well Blowout/ Deepwater Horizon Investigation
U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB)

Report TOMORROW on Thursday June 5, 2014 11 a.m. CDT News Conference in Houston, TX Media will be briefed on investigation findings and safety recommendations. These findings will then be formally presented to the public and two-member presidentially-appointed Board investigating the April 20, 2010, blowout of the Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico.

Released: 6-May-2014 5:00 AM EDT
Nanocellulose Sponges to Combat Oil Pollution
Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology

A new, absorbable material from Empa wood research could be of assistance in future oil spill accidents: a chemically modified nanocellulose sponge. The light material absorbs the oil spill, remains floating on the surface and can then be recovered. The absorbent can be produced in an environmentally-friendly manner from recycled paper, wood or agricultural by-products.

2-May-2014 2:20 PM EDT
Detecting Oil Spills Sandwiched in Arctic Ice
Acoustical Society of America (ASA)

Due to increased interest in drilling for hydrocarbons in the Arctic and the associated environmental concerns, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution researchers are working to evaluate whether broadband active acoustic techniques can be used to remotely detect oil spills under sea ice.

Released: 11-Apr-2014 1:00 PM EDT
GuLF STUDY Gears Up for Second Round of Health Exams
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health, leading the largest health study ever conducted on the potential health effects of an oil spill, are encouraging participants to stay involved in this long-term project. All participants are being contacted for telephone interviews to update their health status. Those living within 60 miles of Mobile, Ala., and New Orleans also will be invited to take part in a second comprehensive health exam.

Released: 7-Apr-2014 1:40 PM EDT
Media Advisory: GuLF STUDY Update: Four Years After the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)

In a telephone press conference, scientists from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health, will discuss the Gulf Long-Term Follow-up Study (GuLF STUDY), and what they have learned to date about the 33,000 oil spill clean-up workers and volunteers enrolled in the study.

Released: 26-Feb-2014 9:00 AM EST
Scientists Team with High School on Oil Spill Research
Florida State University

A team of Florida State University scientists and a Panhandle high school are teaming to scour beaches for remnants of the 2010 BP oil spill.

Released: 3-Feb-2014 3:00 PM EST
Research Shows That Reported Oil Sands Emissions Greatly Underestimated
University of Toronto

A new comprehensive modeling assessment of contamination in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region indicates that officially reported emissions of certain highly hazardous air pollutants have been greatly underestimated.

Released: 23-Jan-2014 12:00 PM EST
Gulf Fish Studied for Safety Following Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
University of Alabama at Birmingham

After the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, invertebrates like shrimp, oysters and crabs were the subject of the majority of testing by federal and state agencies. One UAB expert analyzed fish caught a year after the spill to determine safety.

Released: 16-May-2013 11:35 AM EDT
Low-Grade Cotton Offers More Ecologically-Friendly Way to Clean Oil Spills
Texas Tech University

When it comes to cleaning up the next massive crude oil spill, one of the best and most eco-friendly solutions for the job may be low-grade cotton from West Texas.

26-Mar-2013 11:45 PM EDT
Gulf of Mexico Has Greater-Than-Believed Ability to Self-Cleanse Oil Spills
American Chemical Society (ACS)

The Gulf of Mexico may have a much greater natural ability to self-clean oil spills than previously believed, an expert in bioremediation said here today at the 245th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world’s largest scientific society.

Released: 14-Mar-2013 1:00 PM EDT
‘Dirty Blizzard’ in Gulf May Account for Missing Deepwater Horizon Oil
Florida State University

Oil from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill acted as a catalyst for plankton and other surface materials to clump together and fall to the sea floor in a massive sedimentation event that researchers are calling a “dirty blizzard.”

Released: 30-Nov-2012 10:20 AM EST
Gulf of Mexico Clean-Up Makes 2010 Spill 52-Times More Toxic
Georgia Institute of Technology

If the 4.9 million barrels of oil that spilled into the Gulf of Mexico during the 2010 Deep Water Horizon spill was a ecological disaster, the two million gallons of dispersant used to clean it up apparently made it even worse – 52-times more toxic. That’s according to new research from the Georgia Institute of Technology and Universidad Autonoma de Aguascalientes (UAA), Mexico.

Released: 11-Sep-2012 2:40 PM EDT
At Least 200,000 Tons of Oil and Gas from Deepwater Horizon Spill Consumed by Gulf Bacteria
University of Rochester

Researchers from the University of Rochester and Texas A&M University have found that bacteria consumed and removed 200,000 tons of oil and natural gas following Deepwater Horizon.

13-Aug-2012 1:00 PM EDT
New Oil Spill Dispersant Made From Ingredients in Peanut Butter, Chocolate, Ice Cream
American Chemical Society (ACS)

With concerns about the possible health and environmental effects of oil dispersants in the Deepwater Horizon disaster still fresh in mind, scientists today described a new dispersant made from edible ingredients that both breaks up oil slicks and keeps oil from sticking to the feathers of birds. They reported on the dispersant at the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, being held here this week.

Released: 2-Aug-2012 1:30 PM EDT
Research Could Lead to Improved Oil Recovery, Better Environmental Cleanup
Oregon State University

Researchers have taken a new look at an old, but seldom-used technique developed by the petroleum industry to recover oil, and learned more about why it works, how it could be improved, and how it might be able to make a comeback not only in oil recovery but also environmental cleanup.

Released: 16-Jul-2012 9:00 AM EDT
CSB Announces Two Day Public Hearing to Release Preliminary Findings into the Macondo Blowout and Explosion in Gulf of Mexico
U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB)

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board today has announced a public hearing to support its continued analysis of effective safety performance indicators and to release preliminary findings into the agency’s investigation of the Macondo well blowout, explosion and fire in the Gulf of Mexico. The CSB’s two day hearing on July 23-24, 2012, in Houston, Texas, will feature presentations and discussions on measuring process safety performance in high hazard industries, including the development and implementation of leading and lagging indicators, for effective safety management.

Released: 11-Jul-2012 7:00 AM EDT
Biochar Explored to Remediate Soil Contaminated by Oil Spills and Gas Leaks in Canada’s North
University of Saskatchewan

Researchers from the University of Saskatchewan and Yukon College are working with industry in Canada’s North to develop biochar to remediate soil contaminated by oil spills and gas leaks.

21-Jun-2012 4:45 PM EDT
BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Exacerbated Existing Environmental Problems in Louisiana Marshes
University of Florida

The BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill temporarily worsened existing manmade problems in Louisiana’s salt marshes such as erosion, but there may be cause for optimism, according to a new study.

6-Jun-2012 5:00 PM EDT
Microbial Communities Changed After Deepwater Horizon Spill
University of New Hampshire

Communities of microbial organisms -- species such as nematodes, protists and fungi -- on beaches along the Gulf of Mexico changed significantly following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in April 2010. Researchers analyzed marine sediments from five Gulf Coast sites prior to and several months following shoreline oiling.

Released: 10-May-2012 2:20 PM EDT
Nanotube ‘Sponge’ Has Potential in Oil Spill Cleanup
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

A carbon nanotube sponge that can soak up oil in water with unparalleled efficiency has been developed with help from computational simulations performed at the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Released: 18-Apr-2012 3:00 PM EDT
The BP Oil Spill Anniversary: Opportunities to Learn
Nova Southeastern University

Two years since the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20 may seem a long time for some. This interval has provided partial healing of the environment and for the people whose livelihoods are dependent on the Gulf’s bounty.

Released: 18-Apr-2012 10:00 AM EDT
Two Years Later, Florida State University Gulf Oil Spill Experts Focus on Long-Term Impacts
Florida State University

Two years after leading a statewide academic task force to help the Gulf Coast region respond to the devastating Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Florida State University researchers continue to study the longer-term environmental and economic consequences of the disaster.

Released: 17-Apr-2012 1:00 PM EDT
The BP Oil Spill, Two Years Later
University of South Carolina

This Friday, April 20, will mark two years since the explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon oil rig caused vast quantities of crude oil to flow into the Gulf of Mexico. But despite the size of the spill, "the natural recovery is far greater than what anybody hoped when it happened," said James Morris, a professor of biology at the University of South Carolina. "The fears of most people – that there would be a catastrophic collapse of the ecosystem in the Gulf – never materialized."

Released: 17-Apr-2012 10:00 AM EDT
Can Sound Science Guide Dispersant Use During Subsea Oil Spills?
Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), College of William and Mary

On the second anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, a pair of researchers at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science are using a 1-year, $350,000 contract from the U.S. Department of the Interior to test whether sound waves can be used to determine the size of oil droplets in the subsea—knowledge that could help guide the use of chemical dispersants during the cleanup of future spills.

Released: 17-Apr-2012 10:00 AM EDT
NSU Environmental Experts Available to Comment on 2nd Anniversary of BP Gulf Oil Spill
Nova Southeastern University

As the 2nd- anniversary of the BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico approaches, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) offers environmental experts are available to speak about the impact of the spill, the lessons learned, and what remains to be done to clean up the environment and improve deep water oil drilling in the future NSU’s Oceanographic Center (OC) used part of a $10 million block grant from BP to conduct research on the Gulf Oil Spill’s impact on the marine ecosystem.

Released: 12-Apr-2012 8:00 AM EDT
Gulf Coast Residents Say BP Oil Spill Changed Their Environmental Views
University of New Hampshire

University of New Hampshire researchers have found that residents of Louisiana and Florida most acutely and directly affected by the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster -- the largest marine oil spill in U.S. history -- said they have changed their views on other environmental issues as a result of the spill.

Released: 12-Mar-2012 4:30 PM EDT
The Shape of Things to Come:Mathematical Methods Help Predict Movement of Oil and Ash Following Environmental Disasters
McGill University

McGill engineering professor has been working for years on ways to better understand patterns in the seemingly chaotic motion of oceans and air. Working with geophysicist Josefina Olascoaga in Miami he has developed methods of predicting the movement of oil and ash following environmental disasters.

Released: 30-Jan-2012 8:00 AM EST
Long-Term Response Plan for Cuban Oil Spill
Nova Southeastern University

Nova Southeastern University and Florida International University researchers collaborate on long-term sustainability study to prepare for an oil spill that could catastrophically impact Florida

Released: 25-Jan-2012 12:00 PM EST
News Source on Potential Environmental Damage From the Italian Shipwreck
 Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins University environmental engineer Edward J. Bouwer is available to speak to reporters wondering what could happen to the gasoline and oil on board the Costa Concordia if fuel starts to leak from the wrecked cruise ship.

Released: 20-Jan-2012 10:35 AM EST
Italian Shipwreck Threatens to Create Second Disaster at Sea
Cornell University

Charles Greene, a professor of earth and atmospheric sciences at Cornell University, is an expert on the protection of threatened marine ecosystems. Greene comments on the potential for ecological disaster posed by the 2,300 tons of fuel oil still aboard the capsized cruise ship Costa Concordia.

Released: 18-Jan-2012 1:00 PM EST
Expert: Environmental Impact of Italian Cruise Ship
University of New Hampshire

Nancy Kinner, professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of New Hampshire and an expert on oil spills, is available to comment on the environmental impact of the cruise liner Costa Concordia, grounded off the coast of Italy with more than 2,000 tons of oil onboard.

Released: 9-Sep-2011 6:00 PM EDT
Research Consortium Awarded $20 Million to Study Long-Term Effects of Gulf Oil Spill
University of Mississippi

A scientific consortium led by the University of Mississippi has been awarded $20 million over three years to study lingering environmental effects of the massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Released: 30-Aug-2011 1:30 PM EDT
Florida State University to Lead Consortium in BP-Funded Oil Spill Research Initiative
Florida State University

The nation will be looking to Florida State University and its expertise in the marine sciences as it studies the long-term aftereffects and changes in the Gulf of Mexico following last year’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Released: 21-Jul-2011 11:30 AM EDT
NIOSH Describes Worker Protections After Deepwater Horizon Disaster
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) played a key role in monitoring and protecting the health of workers responding to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster and Gulf of Mexico oil spill—an experience with important implications for planning the response to future disasters, according to a paper published in the July issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).

Released: 20-Jul-2011 3:00 PM EDT
Toxicologists Find Deepwater Horizon Crude Less Toxic to Bird Eggs After Weathering at Sea
Texas Tech University

The Texas Tech study found only 8 to 9 percent coverage of oil on the shells of fertilized mallard duck eggs resulted in a 50 percent mortality rate. However, scientists also reported the amount of time the oil remained at sea and exposed to weather had a significant effect on its toxicity to the fertilized duck eggs.

Released: 20-Jul-2011 1:35 PM EDT
One Year Later, Florida State University Experts Study Consequences of Gulf Oil Spill
Florida State University

More than a year after leading a statewide academic task force to help the Gulf Coast region respond to the devastating Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Florida State University researchers are now working to understand the longer-term environmental and economic consequences of the disaster. Though the spill was officially contained one year ago, the story is far from over. About 4.9 million barrels of oil were dumped into the Gulf of Mexico, and FSU research faculty hope to better understand the repercussions. These experts are available to answer media questions and provide historical perspective on this ongoing story.

Released: 14-Jul-2011 3:00 PM EDT
2011 ‘Dead Zone’ Could Be Biggest Ever
Texas A&M University

Researchers from Texas A&M University have returned from a trip to examine the scope and size of this year’s “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico and have measured it currently to be about 3,300 square miles, or roughly the size of Delaware and Rhode Island combined, but some researchers anticipate it becoming much larger.

Released: 7-Jul-2011 2:20 PM EDT
NIH Awards Tulane University $6.5 Million to Study Oil Spill Impact on Women’s Health
Tulane University

Tulane University will conduct a $6.5 million study into the effects of the Deepwater Horizon disaster on the health of pregnant women in Louisiana's coastal parishes.

Released: 7-Jul-2011 8:45 AM EDT
NIH-Funded Research Network to Explore Oil Spill Health Effects
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)

An NIH-funded network of researchers will evaluate potential harmful effects of the Deepwater Horizon disaster on reproduction and birth outcomes, the cardiorespiratory system, and behavior and mental health. The network of community and university partnerships, under the leadership of NIH’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), will conduct research to evaluate the level of potentially harmful contaminants in air, water, and seafood, and assess their relationship to health outcomes.

Released: 14-Jun-2011 11:00 AM EDT
One Year After BP Spill, Scientists Say Gulf Seafood Safe to Eat
Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)

Scientists say Gulf of Mexico seafood is safe but Americans remain deeply suspicious about the Gulf's fish, shrimp and crabs because of the BP oil spill, a panel of seafood specialists said Sunday at the 2011 Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting and Food Expo®.

9-May-2011 9:00 AM EDT
Review Assesses Gulf of Mexico Seafood Safety Testing After Deepwater Horizon
Environmental Health Perspectives (NIEHS)

The safety of seafood from the Gulf of Mexico became a central concern following the Deepwater Horizon blowout a year ago. Even after previously closed Gulf waters began reopening in summer 2010, consumer confidence in the safety of Gulf seafood remained shaky. A new review published online May 12 ahead of print in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) affirms that levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) found thus far in Gulf seafood samples in fact have been well below levels that would be of concern for human health.

Released: 11-May-2011 1:40 PM EDT
BP Oil Spill Threatens More Species Than Legally Protected
University of New Hampshire

Marine species facing threats from the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico far exceed those under legal protection in the United States, a new paper finds. Researchers found 39 additional marine species beyond the 14 protected by federal law, ranging from whale sharks to seagrass, that are at an elevated risk of extinction.

3-May-2011 4:00 PM EDT
Tests Show New Biosensor Can Guide Environmental Clean Ups
Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), College of William and Mary

Tests of a new antibody-based “biosensor” developed by researchers at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science show that it can detect marine pollutants like oil much faster and more cheaply than current technologies. The device is small and sturdy enough to be used from a boat.


Showing results 51–100 of 221


close
1.05838