Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

Categories: Social Science | Disasters | Accidents | Health
    • Exxon was criticized for responding to the spill too slowly
    • An estimated 250,000–500,000 seabirds perished
    • 1,300 miles of shoreline were oiled
    • Spill covered 11,000 square miles of ocean
    • Many lawsuits against Exxon are still pending
    • 10,000 workers, 100 aircraft and 1,000 boats were involved in the cleanup effort
    • Exxon spent $2.1 million on the cleanup effort
    • Some beaches are still oiled

  • On March 24th, 1989, the Exxon Valdez tanker collided with Alaska's Bligh Reef. The resulting spill dumped 11 million gallons (240,000 barrels) of oil into Prince William Sound with significant impact on the local environment, particularly animal life.

    Although the spill ranks fairly low internationally in terms of volume of oil spilled, it is still one of the largest in United States history. The remote location of the spill made it extremely difficult to clean up and the abundance of natural wildlife in the area made the spill one of the worst environmental disasters in recent history.

  • Drunken Captain?

    The Captain of the Valdez, Joseph Hazelwood, admitted that he'd been drinking in a local bar before the ship left port. Although a test confirmed that there was alcohol in Hazelwood's blood hours after the incident, he maintains that he was not impaired. He was charged, but found not guilty of operating a vessel while under the influence of alcohol. He was ordered to pay a $50,000 fine and perform 1,000 hours of community service after being found guilty of the misdemeanor charge of negligent discharge of oil.

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