Texas Is Prepared for Oil Spills, Land Office Says
Could a BP-style mega-spill happen closer to Texas shores, threatening the state's fisheries and beaches? Of course.
In fact, smaller spills happen all the time. Last year, 539 spills dumped more than 87,000 gallons of oil into state waterways, according to the General Land Office. That’s far less than the 200,000 gallons a day now spurting from BP's well in the Gulf, but it’s enough to coat the occasional bird or beach.
Texas officials say that the amount of oil spilled has fallen dramatically in the past few decades. And they insist that Texas ...
Comments (2)
Thomas Flannery via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Maybe Tanker oil storage needs to be redesigned to further prevent spills. It seems obvious to me that there is some kind of flaw in the container design that allows so much oil to be drained in the first place. What if the oil tanks had cells like a honey comb with compartments that open remotely when filled and closed when stowed. This would prevent so much from spilling out. Just like automotive safety standard upgrades, I think it is time for tank safety upgrades as well. It's not like the oil companies can't afford the time, money, research, and investment. If they care at all about the environment, they will look into it.
Charisa Thrash-Nowell via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Good idea, Thomas!