Graduation Year
2023
Document Type
Thesis
Degree
M.S.
Degree Name
Master of Science (M.S.)
Degree Granting Department
School of Geosciences
Major Professor
Philip van Beynen, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Kamal Alsharif, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Steven Murawski, Ph.D.
Keywords
Climate Change, Hurricanes, Natechs, SONS
Abstract
After federal the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90) was promulgated in response to the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska, it helped restructure the nation’s environmental response capabilities and modernize the commercial shipping industry to effectively decrease environmental shipping disasters. However, in the 33 years since OPA 90’s inception, the oil and gas industry has transformed, especially in the offshore realm, as industry adopts new drilling technologies to gain access to deeper and heretofore untapped maritime environments. Though there have been two catastrophic offshore drilling accidents since the turn of the 21st century, OPA 90 remains categorically unchanged, with only a few minor amendments approved through Authorization Acts for the US Coast Guard (CG). Climate change also continues to modify the landscape in which OPA 90 operates. This legislation’s original regulatory intent has been fulfilled and continues to be successful. During data collection, 15 leaders and regulators that have over 320 years of combined experience in managing and overseeing implementation of OPA 90 were interviewed. When combined with analysis of law (OPA 90), and important case studies, it was concluded that OPA 90 has been successful and is sufficient in its current form. However, addressing shortcoming identified could be achievable short of a legislative overhaul, which could lead to increased preparedness and national readiness ahead of the next SONS or a major oil pollution event. The highest, most commonly mentioned priority initiatives revolve around a modernization of OSLTF funding mechanisms to fund increase preparedness efforts. Prioritized areas for additional research and preparedness efforts include the vulnerability of the aging infrastructure in the Gulf of Mexico, and future impacts from Natechs. This thesis provides a comprehensive analysis and policy review of OPA 90 as the oil industry and the environment in which it operates continue to evolve which has led to some unanticipated emerging issues.
Scholar Commons Citation
Thornton, Jessica S., "An Analysis of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990: Regulatory Calibration in Anticipation of 21st Century Environmental Disasters" (2023). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/9937
