The environmental assessment of oil pollution

Environmental Assessment (EA) is a procedure which attempts to predict the environmental impact of a particular project or activity, and aims to mimimize any adverse effects. The objective of this thesis is to establish an EA procedure for evaluating oil pollution from oil projects in the coastal zone. Oil pollution is one of the major environmental concerns associated with such projects. A three stage procedure is developed, incorporating both the statutory and non-statutory requirements for EA in the UK. The first stage of the procedure is background evaluation which defines the context of the project and its possible environmental consequences. Two techniques useful for this are demonstrated. First, oil spill prediction, which uses historical statistics to forecast the likely frequency and size of oil spills. Secondly, post-spill appraisal, which uses a case study of a past oil spill to identify marine resources vulnerable to pollution. The second stage is impact assessment, in which the specific environmental effects of oil pollution from a proposed project are predicted. The prediction techniques considered here are computer simulation modelling and sensitivity mapping. Computer modelling is used to determine the trajectory and fate of oil spills. Combining the spill simulations with maps of coastal resources enables the areas most at risk to be identified. Two documents should result from this second stage; the Environmental Statement (ES) and the oil spill contingency plan. The ES describes the project, its likely environmental impact and the possible measures needed to prevent any adverse effects. The oil spill contingency plan defines the proposed response to a major spill. The third stage is environmental monitoring, which checks the predictions made in the impact assessment and detects any unforeseen environmental effects. This stage should continue through and after the operational life of the project. Monitoring techniques examined here are airborne multispectral remote sensing and simple field measurements of the littoral gastropod, Patella vulgata. This animal is shown to be an effective indicator of oil pollution. Guidelines for using the EA procedure developed in this thesis are presented in the final chapter.