CORP Author |
National Research Council, Washington, DC.;Coast Guard, Washington, DC.;National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Washington, DC.;Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC.;Department of the Interior, Washington, DC. |
Abstract |
The report updates a 1975 Research Council study of the sources, fates, and effects of petroleum in the marine environment. The National Research Council committee found 'no irrevocable damage to marine resources on a broad oceanic scale' as a result of oil pollution from either chronic, routine sources or from occasional major spills. It cautioned that further research is needed before an 'unequivocal assessment' of the environmental impact of oil pollution can be made, particularly as it applies to specific locations and conditions. The most important sources of oil pollution in the world's seas, the committee concluded, are municipal and industrial runoff, the cleaning of ship bilges, and other routine occurrences rather than offshore oil production or tanker accidents. |