Offshore Drilling in Louisiana Gulf: Potential Negative Impacts - Research Paper

Introduction

Plans to drill a new and improved deep-water well in the Southern Louisiana Gulf Coast is likely to have negative impacts on the environment, animal life as well as human life. The new oil wells in the region may increase oil extraction, refining, and petrochemical production. However, weak strategies and policies in continued offshore drilling in southern Louisiana Gulf are likely to have detrimental bring back some of the damaging impacts experienced in Mexican Gulf in 2010 (Louisiana Natural Resource Damage Assessment, 2019). Therefore, though we support the move for new deep-water wells, we support a safe and effective rig being manufactured with safety features that ensure the conservation of Louisiana's natural resources, preventing future disasters. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the various environmental and health impacts that may arise as a result of offshore mining activities in Southern Louisiana Gulf as well as regulations that could be implemented to reduce these harmful impacts.

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Environmental and Health Impacts Likely to Occur

In conducting the seismic surveys to map the oil reserves, the air gun blasting is more likely to kill or damage marine life. The noises from these blasts will kill fish and damages the hearing of sea animals. The noises disrupt the movement patterns of the sea animals, including breeding, feeding and migration. The noises are also likely to displace the animals and cause physical injuries and physiological stress.

The drilling process also generates a lot of polluted water, referred to as drilling muds. The mud has high levels of toxic substances and which include arsenic, zinc, benzene, drill cuttings, cement and radioactive materials. The high levels of poisonous muds and metals in the seawater are likely to kill and destroy animal life. The offshore drilling process is also expected to bring about high levels of oil-air pollution. Some of the poisonous greenhouse gases that will be released to the atmosphere include nitrogen oxides (NOX) and organic compounds (VOCs) and which pose a high risk to human health (Beachapedia, 2019). The gases deteriorate the quality of seawater, form smog and affect climate change. The gases released as a result of drilling also contain high levels of methane which not only poisonous for sea animals but also for human beings in this region. Moreover, the offshore drilling activities will produce a greenhouse effect which is likely to affect the climatic patterns of Louisiana in the near future.

Oil spoils are also likely to happen as a result of oil drilling activities. In most of the offshore oil rigs, around 888, 000 gallons of gallons are sent to the sea (Safia, 2018). The oil spills are may also be caused by natural disasters such as the Hurricane Katrina that whipped the gigs in the Mexican Gulf releasing over 8 million gallons of oil. In case such natural forces re-appear, there is a high likelihood of ecosystem destruction killing marine animals, fish and birds due to waterproofing and eating oil-coated foodstuff. The toxins in the oil spills also cause development deformations reproductive problems and genetic mutations in such situations. The spills may also affect humans who are dependent on fishing activities in the ocean (Cordes et al., 2016). People consuming these fish from affected water are likely to experience health complications that include neurological problems. Such problems may affect fetuses and children, resulting in cognitive development and physical impairment.

People around the coastal region and workers in the oil rigs who come into contact with these chemicals are likely to may experience some diseases and which may include renal toxicity, hypokalemia, developmental disorders, cancer, respiration distress, leukemia and asthma.

Environmental Regulations

The Louisiana Natural Resource Damage Assessment (LDNR) is tasked with the responsibility of conserving, managing and developing minerals, water, and other natural resources of the state, including management and restoration of the coast. In avoiding the above environmental and health issues from re-occurring, the Louisiana Natural Resource Damage Assessment needs to put in place management strategies ensure that the oil-drilling activities will be of success (World Bank Group, 2015). The body also needs to adapt to gas and oil regulatory measure to ensure public and marine life safety. In regards to this, the concerned body will need to ensure that the field compliance orders are fixed within a specified period and that all active offshore rigs are inspected to ensure they meet the quality standards to minimize any possible risks. One approach to ensure compliance orders are adhered to is conducting periodic inspection of the rigs; establish and maintain inspection records to help oversee the inspection activities and provide early resolutions in case of violations.

The Louisiana Natural Resource Damage Assessment (LDNR) also needs to develop and implement regulations relating to pipeline inspection. Pipeline inspections will help ensure the safe transportation of natural gas and crude oil without any spillage. Ensuring minimum oil spillage in the ocean will ensure that the marine life is protected and hence, environmental protection (World Bank Group, 2015). There should be regulations defining gas emission specifications, equipment selection to ensure that that the level of environmental pollution is minimized. In regards to this, that equipment with high gas emissions should be banned from the sea.

Louisiana Natural Resource Damage Assessment (LDNR) needs to develop flaring and vent regulations. The implementation of this regulation will ensure that gasses produced during crude oil extraction are disposed of safely. Associated gases to be channelled to a well-functioning flare system. Safe disposal of hydrocarbons and other gases will help reduce the severe damages in emergencies. The concerned body should also put in place regulations that promote risks assessments for the drilling companies to take early precautions and develop strategies to control the risks. Both the hazardous and nonhazardous wastes used in offshore mining of gas and crude oil should be segregated and shipped to the shore where they can be disposed, recycled or reused other than disposing of them in the sea (Louisiana Natural Resource Damage Assessment, 2019).

Drilling fluids disposed of in the ocean should be subject to being tested for the levels of toxicity, oil content and barite contamination. There need to be regulations that determine the level of toxicity that should and that which should not be disposed to the sea. Louisiana Natural Resource Damage Assessment (LDNR) also needs to implement laws that regulate the level of noise during the seismic surveys. In this case, the companies involved in conducting the surveys need to observe the marine life and movement patterns before they can perform the explosion procedure. Such studies will be crucial in minimizing the sound impact on marine life (World Bank Group, 2015).

The government and the energy regulatory bodies need to develop comprehensive and ecologically sustainable energy strategies to ensure the protection of biodiversity while at the same time increasing the production of petroleum products.

References

Safia, S. (2018). The Environmental impacts of offshore oil drilling: the case of the BP oil spill.

Cordes, E. E., Jones, D. O., Schlacher, T. A., Amon, D. J., Bernardino, A. F., Brooke, S., ... & Gates, A. R. (2016). Environmental impacts of the deep-water oil and gas industry: a review to guide management strategies. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 4, 58.

Beachapedia. (2019). Offshore Oil Drilling. Retrieved from http://www.beachapedia.org/Offshore_Oil_Drilling

World Bank Group. (2015, June 5). Environmental, Health, And Safety Guidelines Offshore Oil And Gas Development. Retrieved from https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/e2a72e1b-4427-4155-aa8f-c660ce3f2cd5/FINAL_Jun+2015_Offshore+Oil+and+Gas_EHS+Guideline.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CVID=kU7RMJ6

Louisiana Natural Resource Damage Assessment. (2019). Natural Resource Damage Assessment STRATEGIC PLAN [Ebook] (pp. 2-99). Louisiana Natural Resource Damage Assessment.