re: To paraphrase Richard Pryor...
The issue isn't with the satellite, but with the law.
The relevant offense is DELIBERATE dumping of oil. The satellite can prove oil escaped. The oil can be typed to the ship by geochemistry, but can you prove INTENT?
Either you prosecute on a lesser offence of "spillage" or "negligent discharge" or something similar, or you revise the law to make ANY discharge punishable.
THEN the Radarsat becomes a useful law-enforcement tool. Right now, it is handicapped by the lawyers, not the technology, IMHO.
BTW, what do you get if you have a pit half-full of Lawyers ?
A- Not enough Lawyers !