As I conclude my admissions process to Al Akhawayn University, I couldn't help but take today and share a brief account of my future university's rather unusual founding. As much as it's name, "The Two Brothers," may remind us to help our fellow brother, we may also want to remember our optimism and look for the best in all situations...especially the worst.
On 19 December 1989, an Iranian oil tanker named Khark 5 (en route from Kharg Island, Iran, to refineries in Rotterdam, Netherlands) was caught in a storm and suffered an explosion about 120 nautical miles off the coast of Safi, Morocco. Over 12 days, four tanks leaked at about 200 tons per hour; before a Dutch salvage company finished patching a 60' x 90' hole some twelve days later, over 70,000 tons of crude oil had gushed into the Atlantic off the Moroccan coast.
A Moroccan Government Response Task Force consisting of members from the Moroccan Royal Navy, Interior Ministry, Ministry of Fisheries, and the Civil Defense Force responded to the incident, but it was poorly prepared to face an accidental oil spill and requested assistance from international experts. On January 4, 1990, an Atlantic Strike Team (AST) representative was sent to the scene. Additionally, the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF) provided cleanup equipment and an on-scene advisor.
Oil slick dispersal, cleaning and recovery operations required the mobilization of considerable human and material resources. Fourteen aircraft and seven boats sprayed detergents on the slick. Additionally, daily flights over the slick were carried out to observe its movement toward the Moroccan and Spanish coasts (the Canary Islands).
Meanwhile, while the west sent experts and technical assistance, the Middle East - led by Saudi Arabia's King Fahd, sent money in an act of swift generosity and solidarity. The Saudi check measured $50 million and was only limited to saving Morocco's coastline from oil pollution.
Back along the coast, treatment of the slicks was carried out using dispersants but was soon stopped as it proved ineffective due to the oil not forming a sufficiently dense and continuous slick. Fortunately, the spill's significance was primarily mitigated by two other factors. The first, composition, reduced the amount of time that some of the oil remained a threat.
In total, the cargo carried by Khark 5 consisted of 225,000 tons of crude oil. Aromatic petroleum products made up a third of this cargo. This large proportion of aromatics favored the evaporation of the oil into the atmosphere and its dispersion in the water mass in the form of micelles, thus avoiding heavy ecological impact.
The second was the very weather that caused the accident in the first place. Despite all tidal and atmospheric indications that the spill would wash ashore, weather patterns shifted abruptly and instead pushed the spillage further into the ocean. No arrivals of oil on the Moroccan coast were reported, nor were any beachings of dead animals.
After so long, it became evident to Morocco's King Hassan II that he would no longer require Saudi Arabia's money to help assuage the effects of the spill. However, he could still use it elsewhere. After a short council with the Saudi ruler, Morocco's King was allowed to use it for the accomplishment of a dream he had long cherished and, in 1995, an American-style university named Al Akhawayn ("The Two Brothers") opened its doors to its inaugural class.
Sources:
* The Cedre website, Khark 5 oil spill
* Incident News: NOAA's National Ocean Service
* Al Akhawayn University Official Website
On 19 December 1989, an Iranian oil tanker named Khark 5 (en route from Kharg Island, Iran, to refineries in Rotterdam, Netherlands) was caught in a storm and suffered an explosion about 120 nautical miles off the coast of Safi, Morocco. Over 12 days, four tanks leaked at about 200 tons per hour; before a Dutch salvage company finished patching a 60' x 90' hole some twelve days later, over 70,000 tons of crude oil had gushed into the Atlantic off the Moroccan coast.
A Moroccan Government Response Task Force consisting of members from the Moroccan Royal Navy, Interior Ministry, Ministry of Fisheries, and the Civil Defense Force responded to the incident, but it was poorly prepared to face an accidental oil spill and requested assistance from international experts. On January 4, 1990, an Atlantic Strike Team (AST) representative was sent to the scene. Additionally, the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF) provided cleanup equipment and an on-scene advisor.
Oil slick dispersal, cleaning and recovery operations required the mobilization of considerable human and material resources. Fourteen aircraft and seven boats sprayed detergents on the slick. Additionally, daily flights over the slick were carried out to observe its movement toward the Moroccan and Spanish coasts (the Canary Islands).
Meanwhile, while the west sent experts and technical assistance, the Middle East - led by Saudi Arabia's King Fahd, sent money in an act of swift generosity and solidarity. The Saudi check measured $50 million and was only limited to saving Morocco's coastline from oil pollution.
Back along the coast, treatment of the slicks was carried out using dispersants but was soon stopped as it proved ineffective due to the oil not forming a sufficiently dense and continuous slick. Fortunately, the spill's significance was primarily mitigated by two other factors. The first, composition, reduced the amount of time that some of the oil remained a threat.
In total, the cargo carried by Khark 5 consisted of 225,000 tons of crude oil. Aromatic petroleum products made up a third of this cargo. This large proportion of aromatics favored the evaporation of the oil into the atmosphere and its dispersion in the water mass in the form of micelles, thus avoiding heavy ecological impact.
The second was the very weather that caused the accident in the first place. Despite all tidal and atmospheric indications that the spill would wash ashore, weather patterns shifted abruptly and instead pushed the spillage further into the ocean. No arrivals of oil on the Moroccan coast were reported, nor were any beachings of dead animals.
After so long, it became evident to Morocco's King Hassan II that he would no longer require Saudi Arabia's money to help assuage the effects of the spill. However, he could still use it elsewhere. After a short council with the Saudi ruler, Morocco's King was allowed to use it for the accomplishment of a dream he had long cherished and, in 1995, an American-style university named Al Akhawayn ("The Two Brothers") opened its doors to its inaugural class.
Sources:
* The Cedre website, Khark 5 oil spill
* Incident News: NOAA's National Ocean Service
* Al Akhawayn University Official Website
So big oil money comes can be a good thing.
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