Oil Disasters

Children's Literature - Susan Hepler

Opening with an overview of oil locations and how oil is used, this book discusses three twentieth century disasters, the people involved, why disaster struck, and the consequences of these disasters. The Piper Alpha oil rig had a number of serious accidents before an explosion in 1988 occasioned one of the longest emergency operations ever--12 ships and 6 helicopters rescued 40 people but 167 perished. The Exxon Valdez plowed into a rock reef and spewed oil slick along the coast of Alaska and we are still paying for the resulting environmental disaster and clean-up. The oil that spewed forth in the Gulf War polluted the Persian Gulf. Statistics, boxed information on capping fires, for instance, quotes from witnesses, and timeline treatments give the book visual and textual interest. A list of the world's worst oil disasters, a glossary, and index are included. The "World's Worst" series provides information for environmental issues and a good read for those who enjoy true and dire stories.