China Oil Spill Far Bigger Than Stated, U.S.

Expert Says
First Posted: 07-30-10 12:33 PM | Updated: 05-25-11 05:15 PM (AP) BEIJING -- China's worst known oil spill is dozens of times larger than the government has reported - bigger than the famous Exxon Valdez spill two decades ago - and some of the oil was dumped deliberately to avoid further disaster, an American expert said Friday. China's government has said 1,500 tons (461,790 gallons) of oil spilled after a pipeline exploded two weeks ago near the northeastern city of Dalian, sending 100-foot- (30-meter-) high flames raging for hours near one of the country's key strategic oil reserves. Such public estimates stopped within a few days of the spill. But Rick Steiner, a former University of Alaska marine conservation specialist, estimated 60,000 tons (18.47 million gallons) to 90,000 tons (27.70 million gallons) of oil actually spilled into the Yellow Sea. "It's enormous. That's at least as large as the official estimate of the Exxon Valdez disaster" in Alaska, he told The Associated Press. The size of the offshore area affected by the spill is likely more than 400 square miles (1,000 square kilometers), he added. 1 of 24

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@ A man covered in oil attempts to clear oil off of a beach in Dalian.

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A man covered in oil attempts to clear oil off of a beach in Dalian. << Previous 1 of 25 Next >> Total comments: 182 | Post a Comment Rate Scariest Spill Photo Rank 4 | Average: 8.2 Alarming Tragic
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#1 The estimates, though rough, could complicate China's efforts to move on from its latest environmental disaster: Dalian's mayor already declared a "decisive victory" in the oil spill cleanup, state media reported this week. The spill has caused at least one death when a cleanup worker drowned in the sticky crude, and thousands of Dalian residents have used everything from their bare hands to chopsticks to pick the goo from the sea. Story continues below Advertisement
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Steiner, who worked on the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill, announced the China estimates after touring the oil spill area as a consultant for the environmental group Greenpeace China. "It's habitual for governments to understate oil spills," Steiner told a news conference. "But the severity of the discrepancy is unusual here." An official with Dalian's propaganda department told The Associated Press he was not aware of Steiner's estimates and had no comment. "I think we should follow the figures released by the city government," said the man, who gave his surname as Li.

The government has said the pipeline exploded July 16 after workers continued to inject an agent to strip sulfur from oil after a tanker had finished unloading its cargo. According to Steiner, firefighters at the scene later told Greenpeace China that workers had let oil escape from other tanks in the area to reduce the risk that another nearby tank containing the chemical dimethylbenzene would explode as well. The oil terminal is owned by China National Petroleum Corp., Asia's biggest oil and gas producer by volume. Steiner said his estimates came from the fact the oil storage tank that was destroyed had a capacity of about 90,000 tons (27.70 million gallons) and reportedly had just been filled by the tanker. He said his lower estimate of 60,000 tons (18.47 million gallons) came from the rate of oil recovery by thousands of fishing boats dispatched for the cleanup. "They've already collected more oil than the official estimate of the spill size," he told The Associated Press. He praised the makeshift cleanup efforts: "Very low-tech. The thing is that it worked." But he said the thousands of cleanup workers face possible health concerns after being told to help out, receiving no protective gear and being coated in crude. In addition, this year's shellfish harvest has been wiped out, causing tens of millions of dollars of economic losses, he said. And many miles (kilometers) of beaches, the jewel of Dalian's tourist industry, remain heavily oiled. Some Chinese environmental experts have said the oil spill's effects around Dalian, once named China's most livable city, will be felt for years. Both Steiner and Greenpeace China warned their oil spill estimates could be 50 percent off because of the lack of information about the spill and expressed their frustration, putting "information transparency" at the top of their list of demands Friday. "(The oil) could have spread to North Korea by now. As far as we know, nobody knows," Steiner told the news conference. UC Berkeley's BP Deal Tainted By Oil Spill: $500 Million Research Agreement At Stake BERKELEY, Calif. BP's catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is fueling opposition to the University of California, Berkeley's research partnership with the...

Louisiana Oil Spill 2010 PHOTOS: Gulf Of Mexico Disaster Unfolds On April 20, BP's Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 workers and commencing months of oil leaking unrestrained into... 3dtrix 1738 Fans 12:20 PM on 8/02/2010 My daddy always told me you couldn't trust a commie any further than you could throw 'em said they were the worst of the worst.

He was right - what kind of a government would knowingly feed false information to its people and the world to make itself look better? What kind of government would knowingly downplay the health risks and environmental damage related to a catastrophic oil spill? What kind of government would put the oil company in control of information about such a spill? What kind of government would value oil itself over the interests of its citizens? A wicked and evil government, obviously. If my daddy were only here to see how low these commies have fallen... 3dtrix: My daddy always told me you couldn't trust a commie http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/3dtrix/china-oil-spill-far-bigge_n_665038_55754570.html History | Permalink | Share it

INDIVIDUALTERRY Antagonistic , but lovable. 630 Fans 11:31 AM on 8/02/2010 "information transparency " ? From a communist country ? Yea right ...dream on. A national government only gives you the information they think you need , and you dont need much. INDIVIDUALTERRY: "information transparency " ? From a communist country ? Yea http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/INDIVIDUALTERRY/china-oil-spill-farbigge_n_665038_55748629.html History | Permalink | Share it 3dtrix 1738 Fans 12:09 PM on 8/02/2010 Who can blame them? That policy's clearly worked on you... 3dtrix: Who can blame them? That policy's clearly worked on you... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/3dtrix/china-oil-spill-far-bigge_n_665038_55753165.html History | Permalink | Share it HUFFPOST SUPER USER JPETERB 185 Fans 12:38 PM on 8/01/2010 Why is this massive oil spill (and the horrid water, land and air pollution it has become) not covered much in the US Main Scheme Media for the last few weeks? Too much bad publicity for the oil monopoly must not be good for the American media's bottom line of profits over truth.

JPETERB: Why is this massive oil spill (and the horrid water, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/JPETERB/china-oil-spill-farbigge_n_665038_55668053.html History | Permalink | Share it

poonchkie 166 Fans 04:23 AM on 8/02/2010 Haven't you heard? According to the MSM it's disappeared and the seafood will be unaffected. Some GOBP executive was on there saying the FDA and EPA have decided that there is no danger in consuming Gulf fish and this clown actually said "I'd eat it myself and feed it to my family", as if. We had a spill up here near Barrow but it's okay, there's a containment field around it so it just soaks into the tundra around the containment area. Every President since Nixon has lamented about our "addiction to oil" then kill any legislation to increase MPG. poonchkie: Haven't you heard? According to the MSM it's disappeared and http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/poonchkie/china-oil-spill-farbigge_n_665038_55729972.html History | Permalink | Share it

HUFFPOST SUPER USER dlo2 191 Fans 11:29 AM on 8/01/2010 China, despite being a world economic power, has been deeply struggling with overwhelming rapid urbanization and an exhausted infrastructure, poor or nonexistent health care for the majority of the people, widespread local corruption, quality control foibles that the melamine disaster exposed, multiethnic conflict, either patronage or persecution of certain ethnic members, and ecologic disaster over the decades. The air, the land, the water.. so terribly polluted and this will be the potential Waterloo for their economy for many many years ahead. The majority of urban middle and upper class residents who can access health care suffer profoundly from respiratory disease...the hinterlands have been the recipient of discharged urban toxins...sad situation despite prolific manufacturing and export trade surpluses. dlo2: China, despite being a world economic power, has been deeply http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/dlo2/china-oil-spill-far-bigge_n_665038_55662980.html History | Permalink | Share it

poonchkie

166 Fans 04:26 AM on 8/02/2010 Yet we buy everything from dogfood ingredients, toothpaste and produce to Defense electronics. They've stopped reporting all of the recalls on the MSM after Matell apoligized to them for the "Toxic Barbie" recall. poonchkie: Yet we buy everything from dogfood ingredients, toothpaste and produce http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/poonchkie/china-oil-spill-farbigge_n_665038_55730015.html History | Permalink | Share it

Js420 Another beautiful sunny day! 164 Fans 10:42 AM on 8/01/2010 Where's the $ for clean up efforts? The majority of the workers dont even have protective gear on. The villagers are f****d Js420: Where's the $ for clean up efforts? The majority of http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Js420/china-oil-spill-far-bigge_n_665038_55660093.html History | Permalink | Share it

poonchkie 166 Fans 04:27 AM on 8/02/2010 Neither did the BP cleanup crews. poonchkie: Neither did the BP cleanup crews. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/poonchkie/china-oil-spill-farbigge_n_665038_55730026.html History | Permalink | Share it sbmzhcn2 1 Fans 07:18 AM on 8/01/2010 I believe this is true, but not so serious. Recently China has a lot of things are not symplectic, and many people died, these things are very important. -----http://www.rockscrusher.com sbmzhcn2: I believe this is true, but not so serious. Recently http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/sbmzhcn2/china-oil-spill-farbigge_n_665038_55652930.html History | Permalink | Share it

HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR GerryS There they are-365 Fans 01:53 AM on 8/01/2010 as gomer pyle woud say,,,,, "suprise, suprise"" no wonder there are anly 160 comments,,,,,,,, " the chinese can't comment"----------------------GerryS: as gomer pyle woud say,,,,, "suprise, suprise"" no wonder there http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/GerryS/china-oil-spill-farbigge_n_665038_55646664.html History | Permalink | Share it

AKFALAR 241 Fans 01:49 AM on 8/01/2010 Are your spills are belong to us. AKFALAR: Are your spills are belong to us. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/AKFALAR/china-oil-spill-farbigge_n_665038_55646501.html History | Permalink | Share it GeoLee 229 Fans 12:29 AM on 8/01/2010 I wonder which American company built the pipeline. I know one that has lots of experience with pipeline leaks. GeoLee: I wonder which American company built the pipeline. I know http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/GeoLee/china-oil-spill-farbigge_n_665038_55642208.html History | Permalink | Share it Bernique Solar is hip and cool 370 Fans 10:54 PM on 7/31/2010

Henry Ford's invention in the early 1900s ran on ... electricity. But then, the Pennsylvania oil fields were discovered, then Texas', then Oklahoma's. As time went on, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Nigeria, and many other sources of "oil", "gasoline", hydrocarbons, were discovered around the planet. Just as United Fruit/Chiquita bananas didn't want to give up their monopoly on bananas in Central America , the oil companies didn't want to give up their monopoly on fuel for our automobiles. Didn't matter that it would be very bad for our environment, that it would be cheaper for us to drive cars on solar electricity, they wanted to maintain their monopoly. And they have, right down to BP befouling OUR beautiful, pristine Gulf of Mexico. Greed is NOT good. Bernique: Henry Ford's invention in the early 1900s ran on ... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Bernique/china-oil-spill-farbigge_n_665038_55635552.html History | Permalink | Share it

HUFFPOST SUPER USER phredralf 100 Fans 10:49 PM on 7/31/2010 We're screwed, corporations and governments are going to take us all down. phredralf: We're screwed, corporations and governments are going to take us http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/phredralf/china-oil-spill-farbigge_n_665038_55635246.html History | Permalink | Share it

OLEGAR 34 Fans 08:47 AM on 8/02/2010 Sad but true. See the story this morning how many $ $ $ (billions?) corporations are planning to "Donate" (read - buy votes) in "our" upcoming election cycles? Until the ability to curb political action by "multi nationals" occurs, we will continue to get it in the "u no where".. We need to scream at the top of our lungs to "our" congress, for election reform and term limits. . .. OLEGAR: Sad but true. See the story this morning how many http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/OLEGAR/china-oil-spill-farbigge_n_665038_55735491.html

History | Permalink | Share it

HUFFPOST SUPER USER mudshark12 Now who are you jiving with that cosmik debris? 151 Fans 10:30 PM on 7/31/2010 I'm starting to wonder how many more of these humongous oil spills cant the Earth withstand? mudshark12: I'm starting to wonder how many more of these humongous http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/mudshark12/china-oil-spill-farbigge_n_665038_55633848.html History | Permalink | Share it

HUFFPOST SUPER USER mudshark12 Now who are you jiving with that cosmik debris? 151 Fans 10:32 PM on 7/31/2010 MY BAD - I meant "can the earth withstand?". mudshark12: MY BAD - I meant "can the earth withstand?". http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/mudshark12/china-oil-spill-farbigge_n_665038_55633995.html History | Permalink | Share it HUFFPOST SUPER USER JPETERB 185 Fans 12:41 PM on 8/01/2010 Ha! Reminded me of the many Orwellian Bushism's of the recent past, like this paraphrase, "Is our Gulf cleaning?" JPETERB: Ha! Reminded me of the many Orwellian Bushism's of the http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/JPETERB/china-oil-spill-farbigge_n_665038_55668323.html History | Permalink | Share it There are More Comments on this Thread. Click Here To See them All Bernique Solar is hip and cool 370 Fans 10:21 PM on 7/31/2010 "'Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill' Far Bigger Than Stated, U.S. Expert Says, is what I would say, if the 'U.S.Expert' were to look.

Bernique: "'Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill' Far Bigger Than Stated, U.S. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Bernique/china-oil-spill-farbigge_n_665038_55633129.html History | Permalink | Share it

Russ Gooberman 25 Fans 09:38 PM on 7/31/2010 Some Russia Today footage of the spill... http://www.frequency.com/video/raw-footage/171730 Russ_Gooberman: Some Russia Today footage of the spill... http://www.frequency.com/video/raw-footage/171730 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Russ_Gooberman/china-oil-spill-farbigge_n_665038_55629857.html History | Permalink | Share it

Giveadamn "Don't let em school ya, or even try to fool ya!" 331 Fans 07:24 PM on 7/31/2010 Mother Earth is going to look like a hag when we get done with her. Giveadamn: Mother Earth is going to look like a hag when http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Giveadamn/china-oil-spill-farbigge_n_665038_55620239.html History | Permalink | Share it

FearlessFraz 284 Fans 10:44 AM on 8/01/2010 I weep for her:>( FearlessFraz: I weep for her:>( http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/FearlessFraz/china-oil-spill-farbigge_n_665038_55660213.html History | Permalink | Share it HUFFPOST SUPER USER JPETERB 185 Fans

12:45 PM on 8/01/2010 This is what happens when the majority of the most well off nations lets a few self serving percent of humanity prostitute our Mother Earth for quick, cold, corporate cash. JPETERB: This is what happens when the majority of the most http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/JPETERB/china-oil-spill-farbigge_n_665038_55668671.html History | Permalink | Share it There are More Comments on this Thread. Click Here To See them All Page: 1 2 3 4 5 Next Last (6 total) new comment(s) on this entry Click to refresh

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