5 Safety Concerns With Shipping Oil By Water

 

July 31, 2014  EarthFix

While many Northwest communities are focused on the safety risks of shipping crude oil by rail, a new report raises safety concerns about another shipping method: oil by water.

Across the country, more and more domestically produced oil is being shipped by barges and tankers as pipelines fill up to capacity. The report, by the non-partisan Congressional Research Service, concludes: “This rather sudden shift in transportation patterns raises concerns about the safety and efficiency of oil tankers and barges.”....[snip]

.... Many of the issues flagged in the report, entitled “Shipping Oil By Water: Vessel Flag Requirements and Safety Issues,” pertain to failings of the U.S. Coast Guard, the agency primarily in charge of preventing oil spills and accidents on water.
 
Here are five key issues it highlights:  [details at site]

1. Oil tanker ships are scarce and pricy:

2. Barges aren’t held to the same safety standards as ships:

3. Rules to prevent barge worker fatigue are up in the air:

4. Marine safety regulators are in hot water for slow action:

5. The Coast Guard Marine Safety Office has repeatedly fallen short:

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