Offshore drilling safer, but small spills routine

Although offshore spills totalled only 2,256 barrels last year (94,752 gallons in ALL the waters surrounding the U.S.) the risk of oil drilling continues to be used as a fake arguement against opening up our east and west coasts to offshore drilling.

As stated in the story, natural (non-human caused) seepage spills 1,700 barrels as day - 26 million gallons a year into the same ocean.

So, in 2007, one of the busiest offshore drilling years on record, human related spills made up just 0.4% of all oil released into the oceans.

Click HERE for full story

Drilling opponents such as Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., have raised the specter of another disaster like Santa Barbara, which fouled beaches and killed thousands of dolphins, seals, birds and other wildlife.

"The technology of the drilling industry may have improved, but offshore drilling is a dirty business and it still leads to oil spills due to failed equipment, aberrant weather or human error on a frequent basis," Feinstein said.

Last year, the industry spilled 2,256 barrels of oil, fuels and chemicals, and during the first half of this year, offshore operators are on a similar course, having spilled 1,114 barrels in five incidents.

The amount spilled by industry pales in comparison with seepage from natural fissures — an estimated 1,700 barrels per day off the coast of North America, regulators note.