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Atmospheric Pollution
Toxic emissions from oil wells and drilling equipment can escape into the atmosphere, lowering the air quality in sufficient concentrations. According to the Tribal Energy and Environmental Information Clearinghouse, generators and flare stacks release diesel fumes into the atmosphere, and blasting at land-based well sites release carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources notes long-term nitrogen oxide exposure can kill local vegetation and trigger emphysema in humans. Drilling near populated areas can pose a hazard to local communities -- the National Resources Defense Council noted that gas emissions from the Baldwin Hills Oil Fields in Los Angeles County forced dozens of residents to evacuate homes.
Land Despoilment
According to an August 2008 "Newsweek" article, oil companies use fracturing fluids at drilling sites to shatter rock seams. Companies are protected by proprietary trade laws from disclosing the chemicals used in fluids, which can contain a toxic mixture capable of poisoning groundwater. Oil workers often dispose of waste chemicals and byproducts at drilling sites in reserve pits, and leakage can contaminate the surrounding land with hydrocarbons and toxic metals. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, these open pits also attract migrating birds, who become coated with the toxic waste and die shortly afterward.
Hazards to Marine Life
Offshore oil drilling generates greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming and increased ocean acidity. Higher acidity contributes to the deterioration of coral reefs and lower phytoplankton populations, which removes a vital element of the ocean's food chain necessary to sustain prey fish and larger marine life. The surveying process also poses hazards to marine life, as surveyors locate undersea oil beds by directing seismic pulses toward the ocean floor. These pulses disorient marine mammals such as whales that rely on echolocation for navigation and can result in mass beachings.
Ocean Contamination
In her February 2009 article for "The Technology Teacher," Mary Annette Rose notes that though oil naturally seeps into the sea from the ocean floor, the accelerated release from drilling produces concentrations that are toxic to local marine ecosystems. Waste muds from offshore drilling also introduce toxins such as mercury and lead into the nearby sediment, and chemicals such as benzene and arsenic can be released into the ocean as drilling byproducts. "USA Today" notes that canals excavated in wetlands to accommodate pipes from offshore rigs can degrade the wetlands' abilities to buffer coastal communities from storm surges, rendering them more vulnerable to hurricanes.