We started class on Monday September 9th. Something even worse happened that day in Hawaii. A pipeline carrying molasses to transport ships ruptured, spilling its contents into Honolulu Harbour. An estimated 233,000 gallons of molasses has now leeched into the water, killing more than 26,000 fish and destroying huge swaths of coral reef. The reefs around Hawaii generate a large portion of the State’s tourism revenue and are worth at least $3 billion. They also serve to protect the islands from tsunamis and erosion.
The dark, sugary mass is soluble, and much of it has been mixed into the water, changing the pH. The water is denser with the added solute and light is less able to penetrate, blocking out the sun and effectively smothering the ecosystem. A large portion of the substance, being denser than water, sank and dispersed into deep pools at the bottom of the harbour. Therefore, unlike oil, molasses cannot be cleaned by skimming it from the water’s surface. Extraction has been deemed impractical by scientists, and so the primary treatment plan is simply to wait for it to be broken down or diluted, something that would usually be ill-advised with oil. The process may take years, as the water circulation in the partially-enclosed harbour is much less than that of the ocean, though the currents will eventually carry it out.
The sudden influx of sugar (mainly sucrose) has caused a surge in the bacteria population in the warm harbour waters. This has both advantages and disadvantages. Most bacteria can break down the sugar, using cellular respiration to oxidize the carbon into carbon dioxide. For this reason, the remediation process is sped up as the molasses is consumed, allowing for a natural healing process that cycles the matter into other parts of the ecosystem. However, the process sucks up large quantities of the oxygen dissolved in the water, which is essential for species survival. This lack of oxygen is the reason behind the deaths of the fish and reefs. The growing number of dead organisms has also brought on more trouble. Predators such as sharks, barracudas, and eels are often lured to such scenes of disaster to feed on the dead fish. Already an uncharacteristic number of sharks has been spotted in the harbour, bringing up concerns about public safety, and for the safety of the animals themselves.
The shipping company, Matson Inc., responsible for the operation and maintenance of the pipeline, has shut off all molasses transport and is willing to permanently terminate the processes should they be unable to operate in an environmentally safe manner. Furthermore, in stark contrast to oil companies with similar spills, they have pledged to cover all costs of remediation, shielding taxpayers from having to fund the correction of their mistake.
The strange thing is, this isn’t even the first major molasses accident that has occurred in the United States. The Boston Molasses Disaster of 1919, in which a giant tank burst, releasing a wave of molasses 8-15ft high, travelling at 56km/h into neighbouring streets, was arguably even more destructive. 21 people and several horses were killed, 150 were injured, cars were smashed and buildings swept off their foundations. It is clear that shipping and handling of molasses needs to be more regulated.
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