Oil spill caused by Hurricane Dorian brings further devastation to the Bahamas

September 10, 2019

The Equinor South Riding Point oil facility on Grand Bahama admitted to releasing an unknown amount of oil into the surrounding area during Hurricane Dorian.

Hurricane Dorian, a Category 5 storm with winds exceeding 185 mph, caused major infrastructure damage across the island and caused the deaths of more than 40 people. The pollution caused by the oil spill has the potential to impact many more lives as well, Earther reports.

At the Equinor oil facility, the infrastructural damage affected the onshore tanks. Typically capped by white domes, several of the tanks were damaged in Dorian’s high winds, which led to the domes being ripped away, exposing the oil. Rain water and winds caused the oil to spill out of the tanks and onto the surrounding landscape.

On Sunday, Norway-based Equinor company told CBS that they pledged to clean up the spill. They also stated that they had not yet found any oil leakage on beaches or in the ocean. The land near the facility remains heavily polluted.

Because drinking water is a limited resource on Grand Bahama, a major concern surrounding the spill is what will happen to the island’s aquifers. Furthermore, the full impact this spill has had on marine life – including nearby corals – is still unknown.

Oil spill caused by Hurricane Dorian brings further devastation to the Bahamas

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