The book that we present on this occasion in our blog,
constitutes the second edition of a manual published in 2008. This reedition,
is a more than useful tool, necessary and essential, focused especially for marine,
nautical and environmental science students, as it establishes a series of
actions when dealing with hydrocarbon spills (carbon and hydrogen compound,
mixed with other chemical elements), into the sea.
To avoid a disaster of such importance, it is
essential to mark some prevention lines, to assess the damage, and to response,
as quickly as possible. That is why, this manual supposes a document, not
existent up to the moment of its creation, which was imperatively necessary in
order to compile all the existing bibliography and experiences that had been
dispersed. The work is developed in a didactic way, so its use is appropriate
for professionals who face this problem in an everyday basis, as well as for
students who are beginning their learning and experience in this field.
José María Silos Rodríguez is the author of this work.
Captain of the Merchant Navy by the Nautical School of Barcelona, member
of the Spanish Navy and lecturer at the University of Cadiz, Doctor of Civil Navy
since 2011 and responsible for Marine Engineering, Navy and Radioelectronics studies
at the University of Costa Rica.
The traffic of crude oil and its byproducts,
constitutes one of the largest maritime cargoes in the world, due to the high
value of this fuel for the global economy. The production zones are going to be
very specific, thus the shipping routes are located from the Persian Gulf,
North Africa, West Africa and the Caribbean, to Europe, Japan, North America
and China. This traffic, therefore, becomes a potential risk that will be
aggravated by different issues outlined in the manual. Thus, the author talks
about the condition of the ships, which, although it has improved over the last
years, still remain many cases in which international regulations for transport
safety are not yet fulfilled. In addition, it is necessary to remark the
problem when establishing liability in case of an accident, since the global
fleet is formed by small companies with a large number of intermediaries, as
for instance happened, and it is shown in the work, in the case of the Prestige
ship disaster. Statistically speaking, the greatest number of spills occur when
the fuel is manipulated, during the loading and unloading process, followed by
those arisen in collisions or agroundings.
When a hydrocarbon spillage is poured into the sea, it
is not only essential to know its properties, but also their behavior. Also, in
order to act, how and in which way it will spread and the movement the crude will
follow. Mathematical and computerized methods, as we see in the manual, will
help professionals to act accordingly. In the book, all means for the
containment of hydrocarbons once the spill has occurred are described, by
different types of barriers that restrain their expansion. Once contained, the
mechanisms employed for the recovery of the spilled oil are explained,
reviewing the available resources and products. The work not only deals with
accidents in the marine environment, but also explains how to act when spills
penetrate land and rivers. The disastrous impact of a spill for the terrestrial
space when it penetrates the coast, is an issue that must be foreseen by
carrying out a contingency plan before and after the accident, so that
rehabilitation and consequences are the least possible.
Prevention and rapid action are the most effective
instruments to stop the spill, and this manual details the monitoring and
observation ways that exist, as well as contingency plans and international
regulations for such prevention. In addition to the fifteen chapters
constituting this comprehensive study, five annexes, a series of charts and
maps regarding ships, spills and their cleaning are included. Therefore, it is mandatory its reading, study and use
for such tricky business and with such complex solution.