The discovery of crude oil in the United States occurred in the early 19th century. Since its discovery, both positive and negative events have occurred due to this black raw material. One of the major negative consequences that have occurred and continues to occur today are oil spills. These can occur naturally, but more importantly the cause of oil spills can almost always be linked to humans. As the Office of Response and Restoration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Department of Commerce state, “Oil spilling into rivers, bays, and the ocean is caused by accidents involving tankers, barges, pipelines, refineries and storage facilities”. structures. Spills can be caused by human error or negligence, by equipment failure, and by deliberate acts of terrorists, countries at war, vandals, or illegal dumpers” (response.restoration.noaa.gov). Humans are responsible for most of these events, which come at quite a high cost to the environment and wildlife. Oil spills are a problem because extremely large quantities of oil kill defenseless animals and plants while damaging fragile ecosystems, cleanup efforts take decades to complete, and cause economic stress. However, while there are several problems related to oil spills, there are solutions to help clean them up after they happen. Ways to clean up or reduce oil spills other than natural processes include physical barriers, chemical dispersants and biological agents, and human labor. Overall, oil spills represent a serious environmental and economic problem that requires action to prevent damage to the environment and economies around the world. A popular question, as detailed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad...... middle of document .. .... and BP's legal problems.” PBS. Published July 9, 2013. Retrieved June 1, 2014. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/gulf-oil-spill-by-the-numbers/. “Environmental Effects of Oil Spills on Marine Ecosystems.” Ports and maritime organisation. Updated 2013. Retrieved June 2, 2014 http://bushehrport.pmo.ir/en/maritimeenvironment/coastalmarine. “Marine spills”. The International Tankers Owners Pollution Federation Limited. Updated 2013. Retrieved June 1, 2014. http://www.itopf.com/marine-spills/. "Sanitary pads." United States Environmental Protection Agency. Updated May 27, 2014. Retrieved June 1, 2014. http://www2.epa.gov/emergency-response/sorbents. Biello, David. “Smart Solution: How Microbes Will Clean Up the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.” Updated May 25, 2010. Retrieved June 1, 2014.http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-microbes-clean-up-oil-spills/.