Direct contact with the oil slick killed at least 140 bald eagles, 302 harbor seals. The exxon valdez essay prepared for the encyclopedia of the arctic by jonathan m. In a clear, journalistic style, markle focuses on the aftermath of the disaster, giving only a cursory description of the tankers crash and omitting any reference to the captain or crew. The exxon valdez got into trouble in prince william sound when it hit bligh reef, splitting its side open and releasing oil, with reports of. Exxon valdez creates oil slick disaster an oil tanker has run aground on a reef off the alaskan coast, releasing gallons of crude oil into the sea. In this episode, we talk with noaa marine biologist gary shigenaka to find out how marine life in prince william sound, alaska, is faring today. Twentyfive years ago, the exxon valdez spilled 11 million gallons of oil into alaskas prince william sound. Apr 21, 1989 they predict that the exxon valdez episode will become a textbook example of what not to do when an unexpected crisis thrusts a company into the limelight.
Because it is so well known, the valdez oil spill is an excellent example of a thorough root cause analysis investigation. Exxon valdez finding aid united states department of. A1 sylves how the exxon valdez disaster changed americas. At the time of the disaster, the ship carried 53,094,510 u. Pdf twentyfive years after the exxon valdez oil spill. T wo decades ago i was the investigator for the legal team that sold you the bullshit that a drunken captain was the principal cause of the exxon valdez disaster, the oil tanker crackup that poisoned over a thousand miles of alaskas coastline 25 years ago today, on march 24, 1989. Because it is so well known, the valdez oil spill is an excellent example of a thorough root cause analysis investigation shortly after midnight on march 24, 1989, the valdez, transporting crude oil from alaska to california, struck bligh reef. How the people of alaska reacted to the spill which was the largest crude oil spill in the history of the united states. The 11 million gallons or 257,000 barrels of oil that eventually escaped from the tankers. Industrial disasters are a potential, perhaps inevitable, consequence of natural. Pdf just after midnight on march 24, 1989, the 987foot tank vessel. The exxon valdez and 2011 sage publications bp oil.
Exxon valdez pronounced valdeez the exxon valdez was a large scale oil spill which occurred in prince william sound, alaska, on march 24, 1989. Directed by paul seed, it stars christopher lloyd, john heard, rip torn and michael murphy most of the film was shot in vancouver, richmond and steveston, british columbia, but it also utilizes archival film clips of the actual disaster and cleanup efforts. May 06, 2010 lessons from the exxon valdez disaster. The exxon valdez got into trouble in prince william sound when it hit bligh reef, splitting its side open and releasing oil, with reports of an eightmile 12. The valdez was an oil tanker that spilled an estimated 260,000 to 750,000 million barrels of oil in prince williams sound, alaska in 1989.
Dec 09, 20 in 1989, a tanker ran aground off the coast of alaska, causing one of the worst oil spills in united states history. Environmental case study the exxon valdez oil spill, ten. The exxon valdez oil spill occurred in prince william sound, alaska, on march 24, 1989. A close examination of studies of the exxon valdez disaster and interviews with many people who took part in the cleanup offers a possible peek into. Oct 02, 2019 the oil discharged from the exxon valdez still clogs the beaches in alaska, the fishing industry that collapsed after the accident hasnt recovered fully and the trauma it created among the fishing communities still remain in the form of separated families and alcoholism etc. Sep 06, 2014 the exxon valdez oil spill is the second largest oil spill in us history, following the deep water horizon oil platform spill that occurred in the gulf of mexico in 2010. Twentyfive years after the exxon valdez oil spill noaa office of. The exxon valdez incident has highlighted many problems associated with liability and compensation when an oil spill occurs. Exxon valdez case study crisis management and strategies. Environmental case study the exxon valdez oil spill, ten years later. The story of the exxon valdez mcgraw hill education.
Nonetheless, the exxon valdez oil spill evos was the most ecologically destructive and largest in the history of north american picou et al. Mar 17, 2020 exxon valdez oil spill, massive oil spill that occurred on march 24, 1989, in prince william sound, alaska. In 1989, a tanker ran aground off the coast of alaska, causing one of the worst oil spills in united states history. How the exxon valdez disaster changed americas oil spill emergency management richard t. The exxon valdez, an oil tanker bound for long beach, california, departed from the trans alaska pipeline terminal at 9. Ironically, the worst environmental disaster in history was an oil spill that doesnt even rank among the top 50 largest oil spills source. The exxon valdez, 25 years later national ocean service. Criminal charges were leveled after exxon valdez spill. Exxon faced criminal charges after its 1989 tanker spill in alaska. Grade 46a photoessay detailing the 1989 exxon valdez oil spill and its impact on the surrounding environment. An oil tanker, the exxon valdez, hit a reef in prince william sound, alaska.
Sep 27, 2016 exxon faced criminal charges after its 1989 tanker spill in alaska. Valdez spilled over ten million gallons of oil into prince william sound. The exxon valdez oil spill occurred in prince william sound, alaska, march 24, 1989, when exxon valdez, an oil tanker owned by exxon shipping company, bound for long beach, california, struck prince william sounds bligh reef, 1. Directed by paul seed, it stars christopher lloyd, john heard, rip torn and michael murphy. Prior to the deepwater horizon spill in the gulf of mexico, the exxon valdez was the largest spill to ever occur in u. Oil spill trustee council evostc is one of the eight founding partners of the alaska resources library and information services arlis and has entrusted arlis with its extensive collection of materials on the. Oriental nicety, formerly exxon valdez, exxon mediterranean, seariver mediterranean, sr mediterranean, mediterranean, and dong fang ocean, was an oil tanker that gained notoriety after running aground in prince william sound spilling hundreds of thousands of barrels of crude oil in alaska.
This killed many birds and animals and ruined the coast. The exxon valiiez oil spill and chronic psychological. The lasting impact of the exxon valdez oil spill disaster on a cold march night in 1989, the tanker exxon valdez ran aground off the coast of southern alaska, spilling 11 million gallons of crude oil into the waters of prince william sound and creating one of the worst oil spills in american history. Longterm community impacts of the exxon valdez oil spill. Exxon valdez oil spill simple english wikipedia, the. Bp, not exxon, caused the exxon valdez disaster greg palast. With the tenth anniversary scientists and policy makers are.
On march 23, 1989, the oil tanker exxon valdez departed valdez, alaska. It was badly damaged when it hit rocks off the coast of alaska in march 1989 and lost more than 10 million gallons 40 million litres of oil into the sea. In the wake of disaster retro report december 9, 20 in 1989, a tanker ran aground off the coast of alaska, causing one of the worst oil spills in united states history. Nearly 25 years later, the lessons of the exxon valdez continue to resonate. Exxon valdez oil spill economic effects the balance. Shortly after midnight on march 24, 1989, the valdez, transporting crude oil from alaska to california, struck bligh reef. The truth is far uglier, and the real culprit british petroleum, now bp.
An assessment of the impact of the exxon valdez oil spill on the alaska tourism industry phase i. Before the exxon valdez disaster, little was known about the longterm impacts of oil contamination on the environment, particularly in extremely cold climates. This article explores the social dimensions of disaster and recovery. As illustrated in case v14, community residents blend the old and the new in preparing. Rockefellerss standard oil, exxonmobil ranked number one in 2011 in americas largest corporations by fortune 500 magazine. The reallife struggle to contain the environmental and financial damage caused to alaska by the oil spill from the exxon valdez is dramatized. While acute, shortterm effects of the exxon valdez oil spill evos on sea.
Just under a year after the exxon valdez oil spill, a federal grand jury indicted exxon and its shipping subsidiary on five. May 01, 2010 the exxon valdez oil spill part 1 of 10 exxonvaldezdisaster. This report summarizes what has changed, and what remains unchanged in the 20 years since the exxon valdez ran aground. Joe hazelwood, captain of the doomed oil tanker exxon valdez, is offering a very heartfelt apology to alaskans for the disastrous 1989 oil spill in prince william sound. Box numbers subject to change as they merge with other disaster files. It addresses the issues of spill prevention and safety, response and. Given what is known about that environmental disaster, what might be expected to occur in the wake of the bp disaster. The exxon valdez disaster is a 1992 movie depicting the exxon valdez oil spill disaster off the coast of alaska.
The exxon valdez oil spill was a manmade disaster that occurred when exxon valdez, an oil tanker owned by the exxon shipping company, spilled 11 million gallons of crude oil into alaskas prince william sound on march 24, 1989. As of 2006, the exxon valdez oil spill trustee council evostc reported that only eight 8 out of twentytwo 22 species have recovered evostc 2006. Over twenty years later, oil remains,2 and it will likely be there for many, many more years to come. The exxon valdez oil spill occurred when an oil tanker crashed onto the shore of prince william sound in alaska on march 24, 1989. In the 1995 film waterworld, the base for the villainous smokers is a ship called exxon valdez, prominently featuring a portrait of joe hazelwood, the captain of the real exxon valdez. An assessment of the impact of the exxon valdez oil spill. The valdez spill is the second largest in us waters, after the 2010.
Introduction with the exception of the titanic, the exxonvaldez may be the most infamous ship disaster in history. An analysis of the stock markets response to the exxon. The exxon valiiez oil spill and chronic psychological stress. The bp disaster as an exxon valdez rerun article pdf available in contexts 103. This made for tv moviesemidocumentary is a good depiction of what happened and what went wrong with the exxon valdez in prince william sound,alaska. While scenes from the 2010 bp oil spill may no longer linger on tv, past experience teaches that its environmental and human traumas have only just begun.
But the trip definitely didnt go according to plan. The exxon valdez oil spill is the second largest oil spill in us history, following the deep water horizon oil platform spill that occurred in the gulf of mexico in 2010. On thursday, march 23, 1989, the exxon valdez was loaded with around 53 million gallons of oil. Nearly 11,000,000 gallons of crude oil were dispersed when the exxon valdez ran aground, polluting 1,300 miles of alaskan shoreline and causing the extermination of much native wildlife. Legislation on liability and compensation is needed. While the spill was a major disaster, it has provided unusual opportunities for scientific research into the aftermath of a major spill. Valdez bligh reef alaska exxon valdez route to california 4 program. An assessment of the impact of the exxon valdez oil spill on.
Alan haigbrown, keeping the oil inside the ships on prince william sound, 40 professional mariner 20 1999. Of the businesses surveyed in spillaffected areas, 43% felt their business had been significantly or completely affected by the oil spill in summer 1989. Introduction on good friday night, march 24,1989 the exxon corporation tanker valdez, car rying a load of crude oil from prudhoe bay, alaska, was en route south through prince william sound. A close examination of studies of the exxon valdez disaster and interviews with many people who took part in. Opposition to the proposed merger of exxon and mobil. While the exxon valdez oil leak is considered to be the largest manmade environmental disaster in u. We also look at lessons we might learn from this environmental disaster in light of growing oil exploration and. Essay prepared for the encyclopedia of the arctic by. The short film exxon valdez oil spill assessment april 24, 1990 is available for free download at the internet archive.
An analysis of the stock markets response to the exxon valdez disaster anthony f. Longterm consequences of the exxon valdez oil spill for. See times brief history of the exxon valdez disaster. The exxon valdez was constructed in 1986 and was the largest ship ever built on the west coast of the united states. The exxon valdez top 10 environmental disasters time. Pdf the fate of the oil spilled from the exxon valdez. In the 1998 videogame fallout 2, an alternate version of the exxon valdez.
Rawl also evaded any responsibility when addressing the crisis in the media. The exxon valdez oil spill part 1 of 10 exxonvaldezdisaster. It is considered the worst oil spill worldwide in terms of damage to the environment. The exxon valdez was an oil tanker destined for long beach california when disaster struck. Lessons not learned exxon valdez trustees council 20 years after the exxon valdez disaster. The focus of the report is on the exxon valdez oil spill evos of. The lasting impact of the exxon valdez oil spill disaster. Yet the exxon valdez oil spill is widely considered to be the most disastrous oil spill in the world in terms of its environmental impact source. The exxon valdez oil spill was a manmade disaster that occurred when exxon valdez, an oil tanker owned by the exxon shipping company, spilled 11.
Pdf during the spring and summer of 2010, the eyes of the nation were riveted on the. Kym robinson comm 642 case study summary exxon and the valdez oil spill background as a direct descendent of john d. Americans found themselves cleaning up another giant oil spill in the gulf of mexico. Native americans and the exxon valdez oil spill green. Oct 23, 2018 the exxon valdez oil spill occurred when an oil tanker crashed onto the shore of prince william sound in alaska on march 24, 1989. The valdez was an oil tanker that spilled an estimated 260,000 to 750,000 million barrels. Exxon valdez oil spill, massive oil spill that occurred on march 24, 1989, in prince william sound, alaska. Bp played central role in botched containment of 1989 exxon valdez disaster video report by democracy now.
Chapter 1 the spill the exxon valdez was a supertanker, an enormous ship that can carry millions of gallons of oil. Longterm impacts of the exxon valdez oil spill on sea otters. One year later march 22, 1990 is available for free download at the internet archive. It contaminated 1,300 miles of coastline with 250,000 barrels or 11 million gallons of oil. Introduction in april, 1989, niosh was asked by the laborers international union of north america. Exxon valdez oil spill on march 24, 1989, the tanker exxon valdez grounded on bligh reef in alaskas prince william sound, rupturing its hull and spilling nearly 11 million gallons of prudhoe bay crude oil into a remote, scenic, and biologically productive body of water. The exxon valiiez oil spill and chronic psychological stress j. When the exxon valdez spilled millions of gallons of oil into alaskas prince williams sound, exxon management blamed the alaskan coast guard and the captain of the tanker for the failure of the crisis contingency plan cleveland, 2008, par.
1042 566 540 1395 428 493 1145 321 1277 320 382 363 1044 1154 360 149 1420 811 678 1573 1282 1091 1055 999 76 300 835 75 220 1088 714 796 214 1392 658 470