- We can set up safe shipping corridors that are charted to modern standards and avoid sensitive marine habitats and subsistence use areas;
- We can ban ships’ use and carriage for use of heavy fuel oil—one of the dirtiest fuels in the world—in the Arctic;
Who was at fault for the Exxon Valdez oil spill?
Drinking by the ship’s captain, a fatigued and overworked crew and inadequate traffic control by the Coast Guard all contributed to the enormous oil spill by the Exxon Valdez off the Alaskan coast last year, the National Transportation Safety Board ruled today.
What did the government do about the Exxon Valdez oil spill?
In the aftermath of the Exxon Valdez incident, Congress passed the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, which required the Coast Guard to strengthen its regulations on oil tank vessels and oil tank owners and operators.
What was done to contain the Exxon Valdez oil spill?
However, after a number of appeals, the U.S. Supreme Court reduced the amount to $507.5 million. During the operation, the methods used for the cleaning up of the oil included burning, mechanical cleanup, while chemical dispersants were also used to control the impact of the oil spill.
What happened to the Captain of Exxon Valdez?
The National Transportation Safety Board reported Thursday that the captain of the Exxon Valdez was legally drunk when he was tested some 10 hours after his tanker hit a reef last week, causing the worst oil spill in U.S. history.
Is there still oil from the Exxon Valdez?
A small portion of the oil from the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill still lingers in patches beneath Prince William Sound, Alaska, beaches. However, this and other studies suggests the remaining oil is sequestered, or buried, and currently is not posing a risk to the coastal and marine ecosystem.
What are the long term effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill?
A new study released today into the effects of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska shows that embryonic salmon and herring exposed to very low levels of crude oil can develop hidden heart defects that compromise their later survival, indicating that the spill may have had much greater impacts on spawning fish …
How many gallons of oil did the Exxon Valdez spill?
On March 24, 1989 the oil tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince William Sound, Alaska, spilling 11 million gallons of oil.
How did the Exxon Valdez oil spill affect humans?
No humans died during the actual oil spill, but four were killed during the cleanup. Furthermore, many workers involved in the cleanup fell ill. Respiratory illnesses (of which 6,722 were reported) were thought to be colds or flus and were even called ‘the Valdez crud.
Why did Exxon Valdez happen?
At four minutes after midnight on March 24, the ship struck Bligh Reef, a well-known navigation hazard in Alaska’s Prince William Sound. The impact of the collision tore open the ship’s hull, causing some 11 million gallons of crude oil to spill into the water.
Has Prince William Sound recovered?
It took a quarter century, but the northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) living in Alaska’s Prince William Sound have finally recovered from the effects of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, according to a new report from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
Where did the company fail to maintain safety in the Exxon Valdez tanker?
The Exxon Valdez failed to appropriately maintain its RAYCAS radar, which if functional would have indicated to the third mate that the Bligh Reef posed a threat to the vessel, by detecting the radar reflector which was placed near the reef.
What animals have not recovered from the oil spill?
The USGS has previously led long-term studies of sea otters and harlequin ducks, two species that showed lack of recovery for over two decades after the spill.
What happens to birds when they are exposed to oil?
For seabirds, oil can sink their natural buoyancy and literally drag them into a watery grave. And the birds that try to clean themselves ingest a sticky poison that ravages their livers, lungs, and intestines. Some lucky ones, however, get away with just a few smudges.
What is the main objective of OPA 90 under what country it exists?
One reason Congress enacted the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90) was to reduce the occurrence of oil spills through preventive measures and to reduce the impact of future oil spills through increased preparedness. Section 4115 of the act requires that tankers operating in U.S. waters must have double hulls.
What is the biggest oil spill in history?
On April 20, 2010, the oil drilling rig Deepwater Horizon, operating in the Macondo Prospect in the Gulf of Mexico, exploded and sank resulting in the death of 11 workers on the Deepwater Horizon and the largest spill of oil in the history of marine oil drilling operations.
How much did the Exxon Valdez clean up cost?
Exxon Valdez oil spill costs exceeded $7 billion
Cleanup alone cost in the region of US $2.5 billion and total costs (including fines, penalties and claims settlements) have, at times been estimated at as much as US $7 billion.”
Why was DDT intentionally released into the environment?
Why was DDT intentionally released into the environment? It was applied in swamps to kill mosquitos that spread malaria. … Even a small amount of DDT has an extremely detrimental impact on marine organisms. It is still found throughout the world’s oceans.
How long did it take the Exxon crews to clean up the oil?
5.8 million gallons of oil drained from the ship within 3 hours and 15 minutes.
What has Exxon done to compensate for the damages caused in Valdez?
Since Exxon has paid about $507 million to compensate more than 32,000 Alaska Natives, landowners and commercial fishermen for the damage caused by the spill, it should have to pay no more than that amount in punitive damages, Justice Souter said.
What are the long term environmental impacts of Exxon?
Large-scale persistent ecological effects included impacts to deep ocean corals, failed recruitment of oysters over multiple years, damage to coastal wetlands, and reduced dolphin, sea turtle, and seabird populations.
What happened with Exxon?
Exxon Valdez oil spill, massive oil spill that occurred on March 24, 1989, in Prince William Sound, an inlet in the Gulf of Alaska, Alaska, U.S. The incident happened after an Exxon Corporation tanker, the Exxon Valdez, ran aground on Bligh Reef during a voyage from Valdez, Alaska, to California.
Who was the third mate on the Exxon Valdez?
Former tanker captain Shiras Walker, testifying for the defense in Hazelwood’s trial, said he believes the third mate, Gregory Cousins, was responsible for the March 24 grounding of the Exxon Valdez.
How much do oil tanker captains make?
The salaries of Oil Tanker Captains in the US range from $38,310 to $134,950 , with a median salary of $75,482 . The middle 50% of Oil Tanker Captains makes between $63,430 and $75,466, with the top 83% making $134,950.