9.1 INTRODUCTION

The business of providing society's energy from petroleum employs more people than any other in the United States or the world. The sheer magnitude of this industry and the extensive infrastructure it requires to recover, process, and distribute petroleum products for our use makes it a daily influence on our lives. It is thus understandable that concerns about the environmental impact of petroleum in the environment have developed. From an environmental perspective, much attention has focused on the release of oil and petroleum products in the environment from accidental spills and other impacts such as air pollution. Responsible stewardship of our soil, water, and resources requires better understanding of the environmental consequences of petroleum production, processing, transporting, storing, and use.

The impact of petroleum in the environment can take many forms, and once an environmental impact has occurred, the significance of the impact can become very difficult to evaluate. Many of today's petroleum-related environmental problems are actually inherited from antiquated facilities or operational practices that are no longer in use (Fig. 9.1). However, considering the huge volume of oil and petroleum products that are moved, stored, and used every day, spills and leaks are inevitable. Overall, much progress has been made in understanding and mitigating the environmental impacts of oil and petroleum products. Technological advances,...