Question: What happens when there is an oil spill? Are people evacuated or anything like that?

Sarah Cook answered on 19 Jun 2011:

It really depends on where it is and on the size.
Prior to being allowed to drill an oil pollution emergency plan has to be drawn up agreeing what everyone would do and who would be responsible etc.
Oil spill modelling would also have been carried out first so that potential beaching sites would be identified and there would be contingency plans to protect beaches etc.
The only people likely to be evacuated are the workers on the oil rig.