Significant Pollution Incidents Listed Yearly

The MMS investigates significant pollution incidents, petroleum or other toxic substance spills of 50 bbl (2,100 gal) or more, describing the circumstances surrounding the incident with the ultimate goal of prevention through safety alerts in addition to site specific corrections. Most incidents involve everyday operations and duties, but an unsafe act or condition may cause a spill to occur. By providing brief descriptions of each pollution incident, MMS is trying to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

Here, we summarized each of the significant pollution incidents for years 1964 to present. This report is based on information contained in the MMS Technical Information Management System (TIMS) for the years 1995 to present. Information on incidents prior to 1995 is based on MMS information systems that predate TIMS. In general, investigations are completed within a few months, but in the event that an accident investigation panel is convened, the report and details may not be finalized for more than a year.

Click on the yearly breakdown of OCS significant pollution incidents below to see general details, including dates, locations, causes, and estimated spill sizes for the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Region and Pacific (PAC) Region. When applicable, information on OCS Reports and NRC Reports is also provided.

	Significant Pollution Incidents (50 bbl (2,100 gal) or More)
	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977
GOM	5	2	0	2	2	9	7	11	1	5	8	2	3	4
PAC	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	5	2	0	2	2	11	7	11	1	5	8	2	3	4

	Significant Pollution Incidents (50 bbl (2,100 gal) or More)
	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990
GOM	3	5	9	6	3	9	2	9	3	1	4	1	3
PAC	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
Total	3	5	9	6	3	9	2	9	3	1	4	1	4

	Significant Pollution Incidents (50 bbl (2,100 gal) or More)
	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004
GOM	1	3	1	4	4	3	3	9	4	7	7	11	10	2
PAC	1	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	2	3	1	5	4	4	3	9	4	7	7	11	10	2

Selected Pollution Incidents in State Waters

MMS tracks spills which occur on Federal leases in OCS waters, the submerged lands, subsoil, and seabed, lying between the seaward extent of the States' jurisdiction and the seaward extent of Federal jurisdiction (see spills above). The MMS does not maintain comprehensive data on spills which have occurred in the State's jurisdiction. However, in recent years, MMS occasionally has collected information on State pollution incidents.

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Last Updated: 05/25/04, 04:43 PM