The Exxon Valdez oil tanker was a disaster that occurred on March 24, 1989, when the tanker ran aground on a reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska. The tanker was carrying 53 million gallons of crude oil, and when it hit the reef, it ruptured its hull and spilled an estimated 11 million gallons of oil into the sound.
The Exxon Valdez oil spill was one of the worst environmental disasters in history. The oil spread over 1,300 miles of coastline, coating beaches, killing wildlife, and contaminating the water. The spill had a devastating impact on the local ecosystem, killing thousands of birds, fish, and other animals. It also had a significant economic impact on the region, as the fishing and tourism industries were severely affected.
The response to the oil spill was complex and challenging. Exxon, the owner of the tanker, faced criticism for its slow response and inadequate cleanup efforts. The company was eventually forced to pay billions of dollars in damages, and the captain of the tanker, Joseph Hazelwood, was charged with negligence and reckless operation of a vessel.
The Exxon Valdez oil spill brought attention to the need for better regulations and safety measures in the shipping industry. As a result of the disaster, the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 was passed, which established new standards for tanker construction, training, and emergency response. The act also established a fund to help pay for the cleanup of future oil spills.
In the decades since the Exxon Valdez oil spill, much has been learned about the impacts of oil spills on the environment and the importance of prevention and preparedness. While the disaster caused significant harm, it also served as a wake-up call for the need to prioritize safety and environmental protection in the shipping industry.
Exxon Valdez oil spill
The ship would sail several different waters and go through a half dozen names, before eventually being sold to a Hong Kong shipping company in 2008, whereupon it would be converted to an ore carrier and renamed to the Dong Feng Ocean via And in 2010, the Dong Feng Ocean proceeded to collide with another ship while traveling across the Yellow Sea — once again severely damaging the vessel via History. In SC Jewett ed. Hazelwood said he felt Alaskans always gave him a fair shake. The crash resulted in an estimated 11 million gallons of crude oil spilling into the Prince William Sound on Alaska's southern gulf, and for 21 years, it was widely regarded as the worst oil spill in U. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
Retrieved March 10, 2008. Michael December 18, 1992. Nine Years After the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill: Effects on Marine Bird Populations in Prince William Sound, Alaska. Even years after the accident, the shoreline is yet to recover completely from the oil spill. Retrieved March 10, 2008. It is indisputable that the discovery of oil has dramatically changed human life. Photo courtesy Erik Hill, Anchorage Daily News.
How long do the effects of an oil spill last? In April 1998, the company argued in a legal action against the federal government that the ship should be allowed back into Alaskan waters. The plaintiffs said they were hurt when Exxon's oil tanker struck a charted reef and spilled 11 million gallons of crude oil. The author and Marine Insight do not claim it to be accurate nor accept any responsibility for the same. The Safer lies abandoned and rusting near the port Hudaydah in Yemen, where it once served as a floating storage unit. .
Exxon Valdez oil tanker Capt. Joseph Hazelwood dies at 75
The spill ended the lives of herring and salmon, and commercial fishing of crab, herring, rockfish, salmon, shrimp, etc. Cousins helped the pilot disembark from the vessel, leaving the captain as the only officer on the bridge. A combination of both? However, this also displaced and destroyed the microbial populations on the shoreline; many of these organisms e. Retrieved June 5, 2019. Seattle: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: 80. Retrieved July 30, 2010. Retrieved July 21, 2010.
As to Captain Joe Hazelwood, he was below decks, sleeping off his bender. It contains far more poisonous, and despite the clean-up, about 20 acres of the Alaskan coastline is polluted by sub-surface oil. Owing to this positivity, one can rest assured that in spite of an accident happening, one managed to avert the worst and ended up doing a marine salvage in the best possible manner. Office of Response and Restoration. In the accident that took place almost 30 years ago, over 11 million gallons of crude oil were released into the waters of the Gulf of Alaska, killing thousands of marine life. Retrieved March 10, 2008. Retrieved March 21, 2013.
The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. How many people died on the Exxon Valdez? Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council. Retrieved April 6, 2021. Archived from PDF on June 11, 2010. Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council. Because of this violation by the Exxon Valdez, owner Exxon Mobil charted out a clause which spoke about the strict following of the prescribed shipping routes and lanes so as to avoid any further marine accident of a magnitude like the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill.
Joseph Hazelwood, captain in Exxon Valdez spill, dead at 75
The remaining oil lasting far longer than anticipated has resulted in more long-term losses of species than had been expected. Within a year of the spill, a study conducted by the Alaska Oil Spill Commission resulted in the February 1990 report. Environment and Climate Change Canada. The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council estimates the spill killed a quarter million seabirds, 2,800 sea otters, 300 harbor seals, 250 bald eagles, up to 22 killer whales and billions of fish eggs. Hazelwood, whom prosecutors accused of being drunk when the tanker grounded, was the only crew member criminally charged after the spill. Amid all the panic, unfortunately, no immediate effort was made to contain the oil after the initial crash.
Appeals court declines to reconsider Exxon Valdez ruling
. No deaths were caused by the disaster, however, four people died during the cleanup operations. During his sentencing, then-Superior Court Judge Karl Johnstone said he was disappointed Hazelwood had not publicly apologized for his role in the disaster. Tourism was also hampered, and the number of tourists who arrived in Alaska was at a record low for almost a year following the oil spill, making a significant impact on the local economy. But it may be too late, the authors wrote. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
Red Sea oil tanker 4 times as big as Exxon Valdez could spill any day now
The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill May 1989 — A Report to the President. Retrieved March 19, 2019. This draconian measure was one of the smoke screens employed to divert researchers from looking too closely for the real causes. The grounding, along with other oil spills in 1989 and 1990, prompted passage of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, which strengthened how the U. In fact, the tanker's radar was left broken and disabled for more than a year before the disaster, and Exxon management knew it. The jury ultimately found Hazelwood guilty of negligent discharge of oil into state waters and acquitted him of the other charges.
