NationStates Jolt Archive

Environment (All businesses) :
Underground oil storage is extremely dangerous to all surrounding aquifers because there is a high chance that any leak will go undetected. This proposal moves to ban any underground oil storage that is within 50Km of any aquifers, wells, oceans ,etc.

I acknowledge that this proposal is in a very early draft stage.
Also, if something like this has already been done than just ignore this.

Environment (All businesses) :
Underground oil storage is extremely dangerous to all surrounding aquifers because there is a high chance that any leak will go undetected. This proposal moves to ban any underground oil storage that is within 50Km of any aquifers, wells, oceans ,etc.

I acknowledge that this proposal is in a very early draft stage.
Also, if something like this has already been done than just ignore this.

Hey, it's a start, right? And the idea seems to be worth discussing.

Suggestion....

Chop the thing up into the "legislative format" that most proposals use. It's familiar to folks and they're more likely to accept something familiar than something strange. Here's a sort of skeletal example:

RECOGNIZING that underground oil storage is extremely dangerous to all surrounding aquifers because there is a high chance that any leak will go undetected,

The United Nations

1. PROHIBITS any storage of oil....

2. REQUIRES....

etc.

We hope you'll be getting some good ideas and suggestions about content to add. Good luck!

Lorelei M. Ahlmann
Ambassador-at-Large

1. How do you justify this affecting "All Businesses"?

2. For many nations "within 50km of any aquifers, wells, oceans" is effectively going to mean "everywhere", even if we take the most limited view possible of what you meant the "etc" to stand for, so why haven't you just gone for a total ban?

3. What about situations where the risks of leaks from underground storage would be less than the risks of trouble (due to leaks or for any other reasons) that would be involved in above-ground storage? What about areas with relatively high likelihoods of tornados, for example? Or the storage of armed forces' fuel supplies in areas that would be within the range of enemy attacks?

4. Wouldn't the bit about "oceans" logically mean that if we discovered an oilfield that extended under a sea-bed, as many of them do, then we would have to extract all of its contents that we ever planned on using as quickly as possible -- and then, presumably, store them ashore -- instead of leaving some of them "stored" there for extraction at a slower rate later on?

5. But we'd still be allowed to store oil, in tanks or flexible 'balloons' or anything else that didn't actually extend underground, under/within the water? ;)

6. So if somebody's built a major oil-storage facility underground somewhere that met the "within 50km" rule at the time, and somebody else then came along later on and had a well dug just under 50km away, would the facility have to be shut down? If it would then I can see definite potential for economic warfare (or simply Luddite actions) there...

While we appreciate your concern for the environment, we'd have to oppose any resolution that banned underground storage entirely. Altanar is a major oil-producing nation, with a large number of aquifers. We wouldn't be able to use underground storage in 2/3 of our country, if not more, under the 50km restriction. This would greatly hurt our economy, in our estimation.

Perhaps a more balanced approach is in order, say, providing some rules or guidelines for how underground storage could be used, with some restrictions and requirements to prevent or control leakage or spillage and provide cleanup in the event of a leak. Also, a smaller distance restriction might be more acceptable.

- Jinella Agaranth, UCMA Ambassador

Even in the middle of the desert, you're probably within 50 km of an aquifer, assuming you look down as well. Have a look at The North-Western Sahara Aquifer System (http://nwsas.iwlearn.org/) and find any place where you could store oil. How about the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Petroleum_Reserve), stored in salt domes in the Southern US? Salt domes are formed from lake beds, and thus tend to form ... near water.

Your intent is good, but your execution isn't in any way practical.

yah, I guess it isn't very practical.
Altanar's approach may be better.