Fuel is still leaking from the wreckage of the USS Arizona.
The "Black Tears" are one of the sorrowful facts about Peal Harbor. The day before the attack, on December 7, 1941, the USS Arizona took on a full supply of fuel, approximately 1.5 million gallons of oil, before departing on a trip to the mainland in a few weeks.
After the attack, the ship was entirely destroyed and sank into the harbor's shallow water. Much of that gasoline contributed to the explosion and subsequent fires that sank the ships. Despite this, the ship continues to seep out of the ruins after more than 70 years. The Arizona "continues to spill up to 9 quarts of oil into the harbor each day," according to the History Channel.
This underwater ship is leaking around 500,000 gallons of oil. This adds to the emotional impact of the memorial, and visitors often describe it as the "tears of Arizona" or "black tears."
Scientists are worried about the long-term effects on the Hawaiian coastline. Government organizations and the National Park Service (NPS) examine the wreck site but are unwilling to make major changes due to two main reasons. First, the location is an active military cemetery, and preventing the leak would require them to damage the cemetery, perhaps resulting in an environmental disaster. Second, the spilling oil has symbolic significance and is part of many people's experiences.
