Tanker Technology: Limitations of Double Hulls
Tanker Technology: Limitations of Double Hulls, a report by the Living Oceans Society explains that double-hull tankers are not a panacea for oil spill prevention. They may reduce the severity of an oil spill from a grounding or low energy collision, but they are susceptible to a range of design, construction, operation, and maintenance issues, some which may actually increase the risk of an oil spill. Furthermore, double hulls do not address the role of human factors in tanker casualties which have been attributed to as much as 80 percent of oil discharges.