Understanding Oil Spills and Oil Spill Response

This booklet provides information about oil spills. It contains chapters that outline and explain oil spills, their potential effects on the environment, how they are cleaned up, and how various agencies prepare for spills before they happen. Details about five oil spills
are provided to show different types of spills and the complexities and issues involved in responding to them. This oil spill discussion includes the:

Exxon Valdez spill of March 1989;
Ashland oil spill of January 1988;
Wisconsin fire and butter spill in May 1991;
Colonial Pipeline spill of March 1993; and
Lake Lanier soybean oil spill in Atlanta in 1994.

You may need a PDF reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA’s About PDF page to learn more.

Understanding Oil Spills and Oil Spill Response (PDF)(49 pp, 1 MB, December 1999, 540-K-99-007)