Gap in Rules on Oil Spills From Wells

Nations may stake territorial claims to waters off their coast, but once an accident occurs, authorities can do little to slow the spread of polluted water to other jurisdictions. Since the April 20 explosion on a drill platform in the Gulf of Mexico, just off the coast of Louisiana, oil has steadily gushed from several pipes and will soon join currents leading to the Atlantic Ocean. International agreements generally cover tankers and a limited supply, rather than undersea leaks at the source, explains an article in the New York Times. The US – which represents 3 percent of the world’s population and uses 25 percent of its oil – is already taking steps to eliminate conflict of interest in its regulatory agencies. In future negotiations for international agreements, nations that export oil to the US and other neighbors could also demand that the US take action to adopt known safeguards and impose higher energy taxes on oil companies to speed clean-up. – YaleGlobal