Sep 6, 2019 - Science

Bahamas island faces oil spill after Hurricane Dorian

Orion Rummler

In this image, oil from a large cylinder leaks into the surrounding water — Freeport, Grand Bahama on Sept. 5, after Hurricane Dorian. Photo: Adam DelGiudice/AFP/Getty Images

Oil seeped from storage tanks on Grand Bahama Island on Friday following storm damage from Hurricane Dorian, the AP reports.

Our thought bubble, via Axios' Amy Harder: The oil spill is a stark and tragic reminder of the risk we face by using polluting and inflammable energy types, which are inherently more dangerous in extreme weather than, say, wind turbines.

Catch up quick: Equinor, the international oil company that owns the facility, said on Thursday that it's "too early" to know how much oil spilled outside the onshore tanks. Equinor said it had not observed "any oil spill at sea" as of Thursday.

The Grand Bahama storage terminal had 1.8 million barrels of oil on-site when Dorian struck the island Sunday, NPR reports.
Equinor said on Thursday it has mobilized "oil spill response resources" that will arrive at the South Riding Point facility as soon as possible.

Go deeper: The "unimaginable" destruction Dorian brought on the Bahamas

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Bahamas island faces oil spill after Hurricane Dorian

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