516 Oil, Illness, and Human Rights
Cleaning up oil spills
Cleaning up spills is the responsibility
of the oil company. Companies claim
they can clean up any spill. But the
truth is, even with the best equipment,
oil spills and oil spill clean-ups are
very dangerous and difficult.
In most cases, people
affected by spills have
no protective equipment.
The company
said this toxic
sludge is good
for plants.
You won’t be able
to eat anything
that grows here,
not for a million
years!
The oil company
should start clean-up
as soon as spills happen.
Because toxins from oil
settle into water and
soil, removing the black
sludge from the surface
does not always remove
the source of harm (see
page 514).
Whenever there are spills, on water or on land, the chemicals in
the oil poison people, animals, plants, land, and water.
Oil spill clean-up makes workers sick
When an oil tanker named Exxon Valdez ran aground off the coast of Alaska in
1989, it spilled millions of gallons of oil into the water. The spill killed countless
animals and birds, and destroyed the local fishing industry. The oil caused
damage that continues to this day.
The Exxon company hired 10,000 workers to clean up the oil and rescue the
animals. Using the best equipment, they worked 12 to 16 hours a day for many
months cleaning the spill and trying to prevent the oil from spreading. They
wore protective clothing to keep the oil off their skin and masks to keep them
from breathing toxic fumes.
At the end of each day, the workers removed their raincoats, boots, and
gloves. The suits and the workers themselves were cleaned with chemical
solvents. The next day they put the suits back on and went back to work. But
despite the protective gear, many workers complained of coughing, headaches,
dizziness, and runny noses. “At night, in the bunks, everyone was coughing. It
was like a TB ward,” said one worker. 10 years later, many of the workers have
developed memory loss, lung damage, and cancer. Hundreds of them have died.
Exxon was sued to pay for the damage. But all these years later, they have
paid nothing at all.
A Community Guide to Environmental Health 2012