Wednesday, December 17. 2008

Off Topic: Valdez Cleaned Up?

New Scientist covers the latest article on surveys of the impact of oil spill from 1989.

Among the findings:

- very little oil remains and most of what does is not in a form or location that can harm animals, plants or humans. (scientists funded by Exxon and others working for Greenpeace agree on these facts)

- "All of these government and Exxon-funded studies consistently show that the animals that wildlife use for prey are as clean as any in un-oiled locations in Prince William Sound," says lead author Paul Boehm

- the open question: whether the oil residues that remain are still causing harm in say reproduction

Another quote of interest to me: "ExxonMobil says that since 1989 over $1 billion 'largely underwritten by ExxonMobil settlement funds' has been spent investigating the question of ecological damage following the Valdez oil spill."

Some of those funds went to my then employer (Arthur D. Little, since in bankruptcy and sold) for us to do some of the initial and follow up studies. Paul Boehm led the Marine Sciences Unit and I was recruited from another unit because of my chemistry degree. That put me on a ship (the Crystal Star) in Prince William Sound and gave me the chance to do sampling, work in an organic chemistry lab and learn the ins and outs of mapping in AutoCAD 9. I'm sure I'd not be where I am today if the Valdez hadn't hit Bligh Reef. That's rather sad. On the other hand I learned as much being tossed into that project than in any job I'd ever had. I also realize now, though perhaps I didn't know it then, that I worked with some of the top people in the business. It's good to know they are still out there doing the science.

Posted by Adena Schutzberg at 06:37 | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) |

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