ABSTRACT
Oil spills will continue to happen as long as society depends on petroleum and its products. This is due to the potential for human error and equipment failure inherent in producing, transporting, and storing petroleum. While it is important to focus on ways to prevent oil spills, methods for controlling them and cleaning them up must also be developed. An integrated system of contingency plans and response options can speed up and improve response to an oil spill and significantly reduce the environmental impact and severity of the spill.
