Oil spills are often caused by inclement weather, intentional acts of violence, or human errors. Perhaps you’ve heard of pipelines leaking or tankers crashing while transporting oil from one location to another. Trucks transporting oil can also become involved in accidents on land. Oil wells blow up occasionally, sometimes caused by vandalism. Natural seepage also occurs in which oil leaks up from the ground and into the water. No matter how they happen, spills caused by the release of crude oil and refined petroleum products (gasoline or diesel) should be cleaned up immediately.