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All It Takes Is One Spill

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Illustrating Australian Spill on Virginia’s Coast
Sierra Club Releases Graphic Depicting What Virginia Risks Drilling for Oil

[Virginia Beach, VA – October 6, 2009] –  On day #46 of the devastating oil spill that continues to dump oil into Australian seas, the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter released images of that spill plotted off Virginia’s coast.*

The images were commissioned from SkyTruth using NASA and other government generated satellite images to depict the Australian oil spill that as of September 3 has grown to almost 9,900 square miles – larger than the square mile size of Vermont.  The simple overlay of the Australian spill originating at a hypothetical well in the Lease Area 220 shows an oil spill of this size reaching Virginia Beach, Virginia’s Eastern Shore and the northern Outer Banks.

“Supporters of offshore drilling have been saying there is no risk of a spill in Virginia waters with modern drilling technology.  What is happening in Australia right now with a new rig built in 2007 proves that claim wrong,” added Besa.  “Plotted off Virginia’s coast, the Australian oil spill should give Virginia great pause” said Glen Besa, Sierra Club Virginia Chapter Director.  “All it takes is one spill to virtually shutdown Virginia’s coastal economy, both tourism and fisheries, for years.  Oil is still disrupting the natural environment in Prince William Sound 20 years after the Exxon Valdez spill.”    

Last year, tourism in Virginia Beach alone generated over $1.5 billion in revenue and almost 12,000 jobs.[ii]  Coastal communities up and down the Atlantic seaboard are reliant upon a thriving tourism business to drive their economies. Behind Florida and New Jersey, Virginia is third with $26 billion and over 210,000 corresponding jobs.

"Oil is extremely toxic to a wide variety of marine species, plants, and microscopic animals. It poisons birds, mammals and fish,” said Eileen Levandoski, Hampton Roads Conservation Coordinator with the Sierra Club.  “Those not killed outright from oil spills suffer a slow death from debilitating illness and injury as a result.

Sighted off Virginia’s shores are a number of species protected by the Endangered Species Act. Located in Virginia’s Norfolk and Washington Canyons are coral reefs that are home to complex, diverse and economically valuable ecosystems.

Officials estimate it will take another two weeks before the Australian spill can be brought under control. Using the oil company's own estimates, 400 barrels per day, over 750 thousand gallons of oil have spilled since the blowout on August 21. Using an alternative estimate of 3,000 barrels per day that is based on the actual published flow rates of nearby oil wells, almost 6 million gallons may have been spilled so far.  By comparison, in 1989 the Exxon Valdes spilled 11 million gallons in Alaska’s Prince William Sound.

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* These images are not quantitative models and do not take into account local currents, winds, and bathymetry.  They are used for the purpose of illustrating the size of Australia’s spill in relation to Virginia’s coast.  SkyTruth produces Satellite images and digital mapping for environmental protection, education and advocacy, and are widely recognized for its satellite images of oil spills resultant from Hurricane Katrina.  Galleries of images can be found at SkyTruth.org.