residual oils, have constituents which are skin carcinogenic and care should 

 be exercised when handling them. 



Oils are carried in single skin tank ships or tank barges. The outer 

 hull of the vessel serves as the cargo containment system. Any breach of the 

 hull due to grounding, collision, minor side damage, or tank overpressuriza- 

 tion can result in a spill. The quantity of oil carried as cargo can vary 

 from 20,000 gallons per tank in six tanks for a small barge up to 1 million 

 gallons per tank for a supertanker. 



The removal of oils from water is fairly straightforward. As previously 

 mentioned, oils are usually visible, float, and are insoluble in water. When 

 spilled on water, the hazardous properties of oil are diminished through 

 "weathering," a process whereby the lighter, more volatile flammable and 

 toxic gases and liquids, dissolved in the oil, vaporize and are borne off by 

 the wind. Note that if burning of an oil spill is contemplated, the burning 

 operation is best initiated as rapidly as possible to take advantage of the 

 flammable constituents. Oils can be fairly safely boomed and slurped, lapped, 

 skimmed, or whatever, to remove them from water. It is fairly accurate to 

 state that a great amount of expertise and equipment has been evolved by both 

 government and industry in removing oil from water and restoring the environ- 

 ment after an oil spill. 



The toxicity of oil to the aquatic environment varies with the type of 

 oil, time of year, host factor, weather, etc. Some oils are slightly soluble 

 in water or have components which are soluble. These soluble components are 

 usually fairly toxic to marine life. Oils also coat birds, mammals, exposed 

 shellfish, and the like, which disables or interferes with some life function 

 of the animal. Dense oils may sink and cover the floor of the river, harbor, 

 or ocean. Again, this harmfully interferes with some life function of the 

 sessile aquatic species. 



Under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA), removal of oil 

 can be paid for out of a "revolving fund" established by Congress for that 

 purpose. The definition of "oil," for which monies can be expended by the 

 revolving fund differs somewhat from that we have heretofore discussed. 

 "Oils" for which the revolving fund can be used are those oils which are 

 naturally produced, nonchemically distinct, persistent, and insoluble. If 

 the oil does not meet all these tests, then it is not an "oil" for which the 

 revolving fund can be used. This definition of oil under the FWPCA is a 

 question of law in the nature of a judicial determination rather than an 

 administrative determination. However, the agencies charged with the enforce- 

 ment of the Act, the U.S. Coast Guard, or the U.S. Environmental Protection 

 Agency (EPA), may make an administrative determination of oil until 

 challenged and/or modified in a judiciary proceeding. 



The term "oil" indicates a range of materials which have fairly consis- 

 tent properties. These consistent properties make the identification, re- 

 moval, and cleanup of an oil spill incident fairly similar from place to 

 place. Oils are normally "forgiving" materials in the hazardous aspect sense. 



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