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НА ТЕМУ «THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF THE DEEPWATER HORIZON OIL SPILL»

Warm-up

·         Have you heard about the Deepwater Horizon explosion?

·         Why is it admitted as the global disaster?

·         What is the ecological impact of the oil spill?

Vocabulary

Read the text

The Environmental Impact of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

The consequences of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico extended beyond the 11 fatalities and 17 injuries suffered that day. The 4 million barrels of crude oil that spilled into the ocean over the ensuing 3 months also carried a significant environmental impact, some of which is still being felt today.

Below is a brief look at those environmental impacts that resulted from the explosion aboard the oil rig Deepwater Horizon on April 20, 2010, which left an oil slick on the surface of the ocean 100 miles wide.

Effect on marine life

PAH, or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, is a chemical that is carcinogenic in high concentrations and can interfere with biological processes. PAH was found up to 8 miles from the wreckage site and was later found to be causing cardiac arrest in fish. Additionally, pockets of methane led to oxygen-starved zones, which caused marine life to smother. Large numbers of fish kills in the area were reported.

Prior to the spill, only about 0.1% of fish in the Gulf of Mexico had lesions or sores. In the aftermath of the spill, that number spiked to 20%.

Pregnant dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico were found to have a higher incidence of in-utero infections, fetal issues, and late-term pregnancy failures. In fact, in the 6 years following the spill, over 170 stillborn and stranded juvenile dolphins have been found in Gulf waters, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Effect on birds

Effects were not limited to species who made their home in the water. According to the Audubon Society, over 1 million birds commence died as a result of the disaster. Oil inhibits birds' ability to maintain body warmth, and many were found on shore still alive and seeking shelter.

Groundwater impact

Experts theorize that the use of dispersants after the spill caused the oil to sink even more deeply into beaches. They also suspect that it may have affected the groundwater supply in that area.

Cleanup

It took nearly 3 months for the oil leak to be fully capped before the cleanup effort could commence.

Aftermath

The environmental impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill is still evident a decade later.

According to research undertaken by Mandy Joye, an oceanographer with the University of Georgia, the oil from the spill has settled to the seafloor, concentrating in thin sheets in some areas and deep pools in others. Joye claims that the submerged oil continues to shift around, and that it is impossible to determine at this point what the long term impact will be.

URL: https://www.natlenvtrainers.com/blog/article/the-environmental-impact-of-the-deepwater-horizon-oil-spill

Answer the questions

1.       When did the disaster happen?

2.       Where was it?

3.       How many barrels of oil spilled?

4.       What was the size of the oil slick on the surface of the ocean?

5.       How did it affect marine life?

6.       What happened to pregnant dolphins?

7.       How many birds died as a result of the disaster?

8.       Could the groundwater supply in the area be affected?

9.       How long did it take to clean up the oil spill?

10.   Is it possible to determine the long term impact of the oil spill?

Follow-up

·         Watch “Deepwater Horizon” film and express your opinion regarding to the disaster.

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