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Step 1
When an oil spill occurs, it results in huge environmental disasters and monetary loss. Oil spills can be caused by many things. Carelessness or deliberate dumping by humans and natural causes such as floods, hurricanes, and storms are a few of them.
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Step 2
Most of the oil spills occur when oil is transported across the ocean. Accidents involving tankers, barges, or refineries result in oil spills. These accidents may occur due to several reasons such as explosions, running aground, hull failure, and collisions. Cracks that develop in the underground pipelines that transport oil can also result in oil seepage into the environment. Oil spills also occur during lightering, the process of transferring oil from one vessel to another.
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Step 3
Not just during transportation; oil spills also occur during different phases of production. For instance, they may occur during extraction process in oil wells or conversion process in refineries. Drilling also causes natural seepage of oil.
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Step 4
The majority of the accidents occur due to human error or carelessness, which fall under controlled factors. In a study conducted by Nuka Research and Planning Group of Homer, Alaska, it was found that 80 percent of oil spills and marine accidents were caused by human error. According to the study, though improvement in technology can help reduce the severity of the spill, it cannot altogether prevent one from happening.
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Step 5
Human mistakes are not the only reason for such accidents. They may also occur due to breakdown of machinery or intentional spills due to vandalism or wars. Illegal dumping of oil is also an important factor that needs to be mentioned.
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Step 6
Apart from these controlled factors, there are several uncontrolled factors such as hurricanes and other stormy weather conditions that cause oil spills. Another natural cause is the shifting of tectonic plates. When this happens, oil from the reserves below the ocean floor are released into the environment.
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Step 7
Though nothing can be done about the uncontrolled factors, steps must be taken to make sure that oil spills don’t occur due to mistakes on our part.
