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The legal team of oilfield injury lawyers at Schmidt & Clark, LLP is dedicated to protecting the rights of injured oil rig workers and is one of the only firms with knowledge of maritime law willing to pursue justice in these practice areas in the District of Columbia and throughout the entire United States.
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District of Columbia Oil and Gas Industry
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., has no crude oil reserves or refineries, consumes less total petroleum, and has lower petroleum use per capita than any state. There are no fossil energy reserves in the District, but there are some renewable resources.
Although D.C. only occupies about 68 square miles in total, its population is larger than both Wyoming and Vermont, and its population density is greater than that of any U.S. state at nearly 11,300 people per square mile. Unlike in the 50 states, the commercial sector consumes most of the energy in the District of Columbia.
Related Article: Oil Field Accident and Injury Lawsuit Update
District of Columbia Energy Profile
Renewable Energy in Washington D.C.
In January 2019, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser signed the Clean Energy DC Omnibus Amendment Act, which made the District the United States’ leader in clean energy by setting a mandate of 100% renewable electricity by the year 2032. The updated Renewable Portfolio Standard requires electricity suppliers to provide an increasing amount of renewable energy to District residents and businesses. Under the new standard, electricity suppliers must buy 100% of their power from renewable sources by 2032, with 5% deriving from local solar power.
Global Mortality Rate by Energy Source
Coal
Worldwide, the deadliest energy source by far is coal. There are approximately 33 deaths from brown coal (also known as Lignite) and 25 deaths from coal per terawatt-hour (TWh) of electricity produced by coal. While figures take into account accidents, most deaths from coal come from air pollution.
Fossil Fuels
Air pollution from coal-fired plants has long been associated with asthma, cancer, heart disease, and many other serious health problems. Burning coal releases toxic airborne pollutants including mercury, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter. Eastern Asia (China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan) accounts for approximately 31% of global deaths attributable to exposure to fine particulate matter generated by fossil fuel combustion.
Renewable Energy
Not surprisingly, clean and renewable energy sources are the least deadly energy sources, with 0.04 and 0.02 deaths linked to wind and solar per unit of electricity, respectively.
Nuclear Energy
Nuclear energy also has a low death rate, even after the inclusion of nuclear catastrophes like Chornobyl and Fukushima. Nuclear energy causes 99.9% fewer deaths than brown coal; 99.8% fewer than coal; 99.7% fewer than oil; and 97.6% fewer than gas.
Are Deaths in Oil and Gas Extraction Increasing?
The number of fatalities in the oil and gas extraction industry rose from 81 in 2017 to 94 in 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries [1]. While this figure may seem like a slim margin, fatalities have been increasing in the oil and gas industry since 2016.
Oil production in the U.S. rose significantly — nearly 25% — from 2017 to 2018. An increased quantity of work and more demanding production deadlines have been major contributors to the heightened fatality rates in recent years. In a field that is notorious for hard labor and long hours, this is no small matter for oilfield workers and their families.
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See the other personal injury and accident lawsuits our lawyers have taken on.
Get a Free Lawsuit Evaluation With Our District of Columbia Oil Field Accident and Injury Lawyers
The personal injury lawyers at Schmidt & Clark, LLP have experience dealing with the rights of American oilfield workers, and we are one of the only firms willing to handle oilfield workplace accidents in the District of Columbia and throughout the entire United States.
Again, if you or a loved one has been seriously injured in an oilfield accident in the District of Columbia, you should contact our oil field accident lawyers immediately by using the form below or calling our law firm toll-free 24 hrs/day by dialing (866) 588-0600 to schedule a free case review and legal options.
Clients may be able to recover fair compensation for medical expenses from an oil company in a lawsuit and a personal injury lawyer can help.
To contact us for a free review of your potential case, please fill out the form below or call us toll free 24 hrs/day by dialing: