Fifty Years of the International Oil Spill Conference

Abstract

In 2019, the International Oil Spill Conference (IOSC) passed a significant milestone in turning 50 years old. Springing from the aftermath from both the Torrey Canyon and Santa Barbara oil spills, New York City hosted the first IOSC in 1969, attracting the attention and participation of a growing body of practitioners in a particular form of emergency response. Bringing together world leaders in oil spill prevention, preparedness, response, and restoration at conferences that fostered community and technological advancement between and within the industry, government, academia, and non-governmental organizations, IOSC was the conference to attend in order to share information, identify emerging issues, and develop key contacts. With the volume of oil shipments on the rise and an increasing reliance on petroleum cargoes and fuels in the latter half of the 20th century, as well as a keener focus on the protection of natural resources, the relevance and content of the IOSC continued to grow and solidify. In looking back at the history of the conference, this paper charts the development of the IOSC event and notes the growth of the positive impacts the conference has had on the spill response community and the conference features that have expanded its attractiveness and accessibility for over 50 years.