One thing that was different from the Wikipedia article in the previous assignment was seeing the severity of the oil spill. Deseret News's pictures showed me how nasty the spill was and showed pictures of people cleaning the covered animals.

Sources:

O’Donoghue, A. J. (2010, June 12). Oil spill in Red Butte Creek threatens waters, wildlife. Deseret News. https://www.deseret.com/2010/6/12/20121242/oil-spill-in-red-butte-creek-threatens-waters-wildlife

Noble, M. (2017, September 23). $30 million Rocky Mountain Power, Chevron lawsuit over Red Butte Creek oil spill settled for confidential amount. The Salt Lake Tribune. https://www.sltrib.com/news/2017/09/23/30-million-rocky-mountain-power-chevron-lawsuit-over-red-butte-creek-oil-spill-settled-for-confidential-amount/#:~:text=The%20first%20spill%2C%20in%20June,federal%20agencies%2C%20court%20documents%20say.

After familiarizing myself with this issue and having gathered some general and fundamental information, I filter out detailed information by including terms that relate to the spill's consequences on residents, survivor reaction, clean-up activities in the search bar that help narrow down my findings. Among many informative sources, I found the article named “Residents sue Chevron for Red Butte Creek oil spill” by The Salt Lake Tribune newspaper. The article reported that “An electrical surge apparently caused the first spill in June, scarring Red Butte Creek and property in the upscale neighborhoods it runs through, the Liberty Park Pond and parts of the Jordan River”. Peter Hayes, who lives near the area, states in the news that it's been almost two years since the spill, but many people are still getting sick from the odd smells that rise from the creek. Epidemiologist Nathan LaCross says locals' concerns about crude oil contamination are "very understandable". The health agency will update the cancer study every five years to look for clusters since cancer develops slowly. According to a different article written by Song, more than a thousand compounds, many of which are harmful to humans, are commonly found in crude oil and it has been proven that prolonged exposure leads to leukemia and neurological issues. The September 2011 settlement between Chevron and the City of Salt Lake was worth $4.5 million but did not include a health study. 

I also use Marriott Library Database, Google Scholar and other databases to find more academic sources. Nevertheless, those databases focus on professional resources so they mostly feature reports and research that give in-depth information with various numerical values rather than victim’s reaction and personal experience.

References:

L Whitehurst. (March 25, 2012). Residents sue chevron for Red Butte Creek Oil Spill. The Salt Lake Tribune. https://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=53781754&itype=CMSID 

L Song. (2020, December 5). What sickens people in oil spills, and how badly, is anybody’s guess. Inside Climate News. https://insideclimatenews.org/news/18062013/what-sickens-people-oil-spills-and-how-badly-anybodys-guess/ 

Ralph Becker. 2010 Final Report. Red Butte Creek Oil Spill Work Group. Slcdocs.com. http://www.slcdocs.com/oilspill/2010FinalReport.pdf 

 

First, I learned that dangerous substances and resources should be handled safely since a minor defect in the size of coins in the pipeline caused enormous damage. The damage caused by the oil spill caused permanent damage, such as the death of many animals. For example, due to the Red Butte Oil Spill accident, the creek was badly contaminated, with considerable fish and insect mortality. Also, it takes long to clear the contaminated environment. Second, I learned that it is difficult to find an agreement when these problems arise. They did not find a satisfactory agreement. For example, after occurring oil spill accident, the Utah River Council said they want Chevron to fund a long-term health impact study, something the current settlement figure won't cover. Lastly, I learned that alternative fuels should be used to protect the environment from accidents such as Red butter oil spills. If alternative fuel is used instead of fossil fuels, it could enhance the overall security of our environment.

 

 

 

Red Butte oil spill price tag climbs. (2011, October 6). Oil Spill Intelligence Report, 34(42), 3+. https://link-gale-com.ezproxy.lib.utah.edu/apps/doc/A281901123/PPES?u=marriottlibrary&sid=bookmark-PPES&xid=fd7d8f14

https://appletree.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/Red-Butte-Creek-Oil-Spill.pdf 

Summary of results：Results show that trace levels of some volatile petroleum-related compounds (benzene, toluene, xylene) were detected in the creek on December 2nd. These levels were well below health thresholds for humans and aquatic life in the creek. However, no physical evidence (holes or sheen in Red Butte Creek's containers) was observed to indicate liquid oil contamination of the creek. The results of the analysis showed that only the most volatile of the oils were found in the creek. If liquid oil contaminated the creek, both volatile and semi-volatile substances would be expected.DWQ hypothesized that the volatile compounds were deposited through airborne deposition from the spilled oil to the creek.

On December 3, Earthfax detected aliphatic hydrocarbons (554 KB) in the C22-C25 range once at the upward and downward gradient points (RB2 and RB1, respectively). Similar measured concentrations at the upward and downward gradient sample points indicated that hydrocarbons were not associated with the spill. Other non-oil related volatile organic compounds, such as acetone and bis(2)hexylhexyl phthalate, were also sporadically detected in the creek samples.

Due to the continued lack of detection of organic compounds, DWQ has transitioned to sampling Red Butte Creek once a week at three locations until Christmas. During one of these events, macroinvertebrates will be sampled. If the analysis continues to be negative, monitoring of the spill will be terminated. Quarterly sampling confirming cleanup of the June 2010 oil spill will continue

REFERENCE：

https://deq.utah.gov/destinations/chevron-pipeline-december-2-2010-spill-analytical-results-red-butte-creek

To find information on the Red Butte Oil Spill that occurred in June 2010, I utilized the database "Newspaper Source Plus". By employing the search term "Red Butte Oil Spill June 2010", I managed to unearth a range of articles pertinent to the event.

A significant article I encountered was from The Salt Lake Tribune, under the title "Red Butte Creek Oil Spill: The aftermath one year later". The piece rendered an exhaustive account of the repercussions of the oil spill, its influence on the surrounding communities, and the cleanup efforts, as well as the measures taken to limit the environmental fallout.

By reading this, I came to comprehend the profound impact on the environment and local inhabitants, and the far-reaching consequences of such catastrophes. The article contained firsthand narratives from people affected by the spill, shedding light on the human aspects that technical reports often overlook.

Regarding the use of news outlets as research resources, this assignment was illuminating. It reiterated that newspapers are an abundant and diverse information resource for research, providing multiple viewpoints on a subject. In addition, it underscored the importance of validating the reliability and legitimacy of the news source, as advocated by the "Evaluating News" guide. Using a trusted library database ensured that the sources I found were of high credibility.

In conclusion, this task not only enriched my understanding of the Red Butte Oil Spill that took place in June 2010 but also honed my capabilities in using newspapers as an efficient tool for research.

Sources:
https://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=51758792&itype=cmsid

The study emphasizes the importance of increased safety measures, as pipeline regulations and inspections often come down to financial considerations. The report encourages Congress to establish clearer standards for leak detection and ensure that companies provide essential information on leaks and spills to local governments. It also highlights the need for Utah to adopt additional safety standards beyond federal requirements. Currently, the state has not taken a proactive approach to regulating pipelines, especially hazardous liquid and interstate natural gas pipelines.

The Red Butte Creek Oil Spill had a profound impact on the environment and the community. Chevron, the responsible party, spent approximately $42.6 million on cleanup efforts and mitigation projects. Lawsuits seeking damages related to property and environmental harm are still pending. The report calls for increased awareness and action at the community level, urging cities to take the lead in pipeline safety initiatives instead of relying solely on industry and federal regulators.

Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker intends to present the report to state legislators to advocate for new laws that enhance pipeline safety regulations. Additionally, the city aims to implement additional safety measures and improve regulations regarding pipelines and construction near them. The incident underscores the importance of community-driven initiatives and the need for comprehensive action to prevent future spills and protect the environment.

The Red Butte Creek Oil Spill report raises vital concerns about pipeline safety and the responsibilities of regulatory bodies, the oil and gas industry, and municipalities. It serves as a reminder that collaborative efforts are necessary to prevent similar incidents, protect communities, and ensure a sustainable future.

Reference:
https://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=54883167&itype=CMSID
Red Butte oil spill report: Utah lacks pipeline regulations

https://www.deseret.com/2010/6/12/20121242/oil-spill-in-red-butte-creek-threatens-waters-wildlife
Oil spill in Red Butte Creek threatens waters, wildlife

Red Butte Creek, Liberty Park, Jordan River affected

https://deq.utah.gov/destinations/red-butte-creek#oil-spill-documents

Source: https://www.deseret.com/2010/6/12/20121242/oil-spill-in-red-butte-creek-threatens-waters-wildlife

Usually, I will use resource lists from other resources...there's a big research network; if I visit the Marriott Library it's because I ran into a paywall). Instead, for this assignment I used module's provided resources and started my search at the Marriott Library's home page. I used two different methods from the Marriott Library search engine, and then I tried my usual method to compare.

Generally, news articles aren't relevant to my research. This has to do with what I study, but my conclusions today account for the rare occasions where I actually do reference them in my research. Here are four observations I found the most interesting about news articles (after looking at so many of them)

1. News articles are stories about what happened recently (or "what is happening"), or about a recent event's outcomes as they unfold. The stories discuss their subject from high-level (it's acceptable for most audiences) and often include how people from the general feel about what the event/outcomes. They are  one of the first resources to publish anything about an important event. Thus, if an event outside your usual scope is important, the news is a good resource. They do have value, but you shouldn't rely on news articles to give you important, reliable, technical details. 

2. Generally speaking, there are two common types of resources for news content, and their resources are only presented within the article body. A news article is centered on the story, not the information or its source. As secondary resources whose value is mostly about timing, this makes sense. News articles are usually summarizations or direct quotations of a primary source with the most recent information. These primary sources are not listed in one place (like research articles provide at the end). The only source provided outside the article itself is the author, and usually the author is not important for the article or audience.

3. Trustworthiness and bias of opinion is an expectation.  Especially in articles about political events, we expect bias of opinion, but we also expect those opinions to come from information that is the most current and accurate. Generally speaking, most reliable resources are primary sources; this explains the reason quotations from people or official publications are a usual source of an article's content.  In this context, reports from organizations like the Utah Water Quality Board, Utah Dept. of Environmental Quality, or Salt Lake City's government are the relevant and reliable information sources. 

4. The content of news articles often include public sentiment, and their nature seems to change relative to how long ago the event occurred. Immediately after a disaster, concerns about their health and local ecology are included. In articles discussed years later, usually the consensus about "what happened," is mentioned, but local feelings about the overall impact aren't addressed (if this is addressed, it comes from scientific research). 

What I learned about the event