1.)Environmental disasters:Chemical spills. exceed 300 words.
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Answer:
An oil and chemical spill is one of the most devastating environmental disasters that can happen because it effects people, animals, the land and the coastal waters ways. They can kill wildlife, destroy habitats, and contaminate critical resources in the food chain.
They can also wreak havoc on the economies of coastal communities by forcing the closure of fisheries, driving away tourists, or temporarily shutting down navigation routes. And these environmental and economic damages can linger for decades.
Every year it happens a thousand times around the nation. These spills range from small ship collisions to fuel transfer mishaps to massive events like the recent BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Oil floats on salt water (the ocean) and usually floats on fresh water (rivers and lakes). Very heavy oil can sometimes sink in fresh water, but this happens very rarely.
Oil usually spreads out rapidly across the water surface to form a thin layer that we call an oil slick. As the spreading process continues, the layer becomes thinner and thinner, finally becoming a very thin layer called a sheen, which often looks like a rainbow. (You may have seen sheens on roads or parking lots after a rain.)
Depending on the circumstances, oil spills can be very harmful to marine birds and mammals, and also can harm fish and shellfish. You may have seen dramatic pictures of oiled birds and sea otters that have been affected by oil spills.
It destroys the insulating ability of fur-bearing mammals, such as sea otters, and the water-repelling abilities of a bird's feathers, thus exposing these creatures to the harsh elements.
Many birds and animals also ingest (swallow) it when they try to clean themselves, which can poison them. Depending on just where and when a spill happens, from just a few up to hundreds or thousands of birds and mammals can be killed or injured.