This Essay is on the Exxon Valdez Incident

Essay by Carmelplaya83College, UndergraduateA, May 2002

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The Exxon Valdez Incident

On March 19, 1989, the Exxon Valdez crashed in the Bligh Reef in Alaska. It was the biggest oil spill incident to have ever happened. The amount of oil spilled into the sea was an incredible amount. Over a million gallons of oil had spilled out into the sea. The impact it had on the oil industry was tremendous and is still talked about today. With all the oil that spilled into the water, one of the main concerns was of the effect that it would and did have on the environment, another was why it had happened, and a third was what kind of impact it would do to the future of the oil industry and after effects.

The Exxon Valdez grounded in Prince William Sound, Alaska. The captain of the Exxon Valdez had had a history of substance abuse problems and was allegedly drunk while commanding the tanker.

When the tanker hit the land, a large amount of oil spilled out into the water; about 260,000 barrels worth spilled within a span of 2 days. The cleanup was very slow because the two companies of Exxon and the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company were not prepared for such a disaster to happen. ("Exxon") Because of the oil that was spilled, many animals were killed do to the amount of pollution caused by the oil spill. The oil spill killed thousands of sea mammals, hundreds of thousands of birds that lived on the shore, and the biggest concern was for the salmon and herrings do to the amount of fishing done off the coast of Alaska.

The impact that the oil spill had on the surrounding environment was tremendous. Between the animals that were killed and the affect it had on the shores it was awful.