The Argo Merchant Oil Spill and the Sediments of Nantucket Shoals: Research, Litigation and Legislation

摘要

On December 15, 1976, the tanker Argo Merchant ran around on Fishing Rip of Nantucket Shoals off the coast of Massachusetts. After several days of stormy weather she broke apart releasing her entire cargo of 28 X 10 to 3rd power metric tons of No. 6 fuel oil into the ocean. Federal and state government agencies and the New England scientific community launched a massive study of the spill. Lawsuits were filed and a concerned populace demanded legislative action. This chapter reviews the research findings relative to the interaction of the Argo Merchant oil with the sediments of Nantucket Shoals, and the interaction of the contaminated sediments with the organisms living there and in the waters above; summarizes the legal action filed in the federal court system relating to this spill; and reviews the government legislation and regulations influenced by the spill.