al considerations. The use of oil is very important to today's society. We use it to do many things. There are benefits of oil such as the use of fuel, jobs for people, and plastics. There are also impacts of the oil industry on people and the environment such as oil spills, and pollution. The oil industry provides benefits by providing jobs to people. They also manufacture oil for use as fuel in homes and businesses. Oil is also used to make plastics. This is a highly used commodity in today's society. Electricity is also a benefit of oil. We use oil to heat our homes and businesses. We use oil to produce electricity to light our homes and businesses also. Oil is also used in cooking. Transportation is another benefit of oil. Of course we all know that we use oil to run our vehicles, but that is not the only benefit. Oil is also used in combustion engines. The oil industry has a big impact on the environment. These impacts are not always good. Oil spills and contamination of the environment are important also. There are two different types of oil spills: crude oil spills and refined oil spills. Crude oil spills are very sticky and break down faster than refined oil does. Refined oil is very thin and harder to clean up. Oil spills caused by accidents in shipment are also a large impact on the environment. Oil spills during offshore drilling is also a potential problem. Clean up of an oil spill is very important. It must be done correctly to be the most effective to the damaged environment. What are the effects? What are some response techniques? Is location a factor? What is used to clean up the spills? These are some common questions asked when a spill occurs. There are also positive and negative effects to consider. Many oil spills occur at the sea. Oil that is spilled at sea immediately begins to move and weather, breaking down and changing its physical and chemical properties. (1) When this happens the oil threatens the surrounding affected area. Animals and plant life may be seriously injured. (1) There are many response techniques used in controlling the spread of oil spills. One of the most effective ways to fight spills is the careful selection and the proper use of the equipment and materials best suited to the type of oil and the conditions of the spill site. (2) Most spill response equipment and materials are greatly affected by such factors as conditions at sea, water currents, and the wind. Quick actions and proper use of equipment can reduce damage to shorelines and other areas. There are four types of responses. (2) The first response technique is mechanical containment or recovery. It is the primary line of defense against oil spills in the U.S. The containment and recovery equipment includes a variety of booms, barriers, and skimmers. There are also natural and synthetic sorbent materials. Mechanical containment is used to capture and store the spilled oil until is can properly be disposed of. The second response technique is chemical and biological methods. They can be used in conjunction with mechanical means for containing and cleaning up oil spills. Dispersents and gelling agents are most useful in helping to keep oil from reaching shorelines and other sensitive habitats. The third response technique is physical methods. They are used to clean up shorelines. Natural processes such as evaporations, oxidation, and biodegradation can begin the clean up process, but are usually too slow to help the environment recover properly. Physical methods, such as wiping with sorbent materials, pressure washing, and raking and bulldozing can be used to assist these natural processes. The fourth and final technique is scare tactics. They are used to protect birds and animals by keeping them away from oil spill areas. Devices such as propane scarecans, floating dummies, and helium-filled balloons are often used, particularly to keep away birds. (2) Location is an important factor when it comes to clean up. Different factor

Some common words found in the essay are:
Oil Risks, Southern Maryland, Federal Government, Washington Post, Power Station, William Sound, Patuxent River, Safety EPA, Electric Industry's, Thomas Edison, oil spills, oil spill, oil industry, crude oil, oil oil, homes businesses, today's society, federal government, homes businesses oil, response technique, refined oil, crude oil spills, spills crude oil, clean oil spill, oil spills crude,
Approximate Word count = 3468
Approximate Pages = 14 (250 words per page double spaced)