Crude Oil and Refined Products Spill Incidence Impact Evaluation in Eleme; Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study aimed to assess crude oil and refined products spill incidence and perceived impact on livelihood of inhabitants in Eleme, Rivers State, Nigeria. The research adopted questionnaire, interview and survey methodology. The population of the study is 4648 being the total persons living around and about crisscross of pipelines and facilities, size of 368 selected at random from the study sites. The primary data, questionnaires and oral interview were major instruments deployed and used for data collection and simple percentages were used in analyzing the data collected from the questionnaire. The major cause of spill was identified as pipeline sabotage, followed closely by pipeline rupture. Preponderance of the respondents strongly agreed that the magnitude of crude oil and refined products spill had impacted negatively on livelihood of inhabitants, that there are consequences associated with crude oil and refined product spill on soil and water in the study area, that there are mitigation and measures of curtailing crude oil and refined products spill in the study area, and that crude oil and refined product spill have a significant effect on the study area. Prevention should be adopted as a risk management strategy in addressing soil and water pollution in Eleme, arising from Crude oil spill.