Publication Abstract

Assessing the long-term impact of oil spills: an examination of recent incidents

R.J. Law , C. Kelly , P. Roose, J. Tronczynski, L. Vinas, L. Webster

Following major oil spill incidents there is a considerable focus on environmental impact assessment, particularly in the short-term. These can arise both as a result of toxic impacts (toxicity and bioaccumulation) and physical impacts (smothering and sediment contamination). There may also be impacts as a result of remedial activities, for instance to sand-dune systems caused by heavy vehicle traffic. Different ecosystems also have varying recovery rates. Long-term impacts can be more difficult to assess, particularly against a background of natural variability and change which would occur in the absence of a spill. We plan to investigate the impact assessments made following a number of recent incidents (Braer, Sea Empress, Erika, Prestige and Tricolor) and to try to assess whether the current framework of environmental risk assessment and toxicology is adequate to address the issues of long-term impacts of oil spills.