What happened in Prince William Sound Alaska in 1989?
On March 24, 1989 the oil tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince William Sound, Alaska, spilling 11 million gallons of oil. The ecologically sensitive location, season of the year, and large scale of this spill resulted in one of the largest environmental disasters in U.S. history.
What caused the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989?
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.
What happened to the captain of the Exxon Valdez?
The Alaska court of appeals overturns the conviction of Joseph Hazelwood, the former captain of the oil tanker Exxon Valdez.
How many people died from the Exxon Valdez oil spill?
That complacency and success were shattered when the Exxon Valdez ran hard aground shortly after midnight on March 24. No human lives were lost as a direct result of the disaster, though four deaths were associated with the cleanup effort.
Is the Exxon Valdez still in operation?
In 2008, ExxonMobil and its infamous tanker finally parted ways when Sea River sold the Mediterranean to a Hong Kong-based shipping company, Hong Kong Bloom Shipping Co., Ltd. The ship was once again renamed, to Dong Fang Ocean, and reflagged under Panamanian registry.
Are the effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill still seen today?
Today, 20 years after the largest spill in U.S. waters, the oil that gushed from the hull of the Exxon Valdez is still having effects. Sea otters once again play in the waters of Alaska’s Prince William Sound, and salmon and some other species have rebounded.
How did the Exxon Valdez oil spill affect Alaska?
On March 24, 1989 the oil tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince William Sound, Alaska, spilling 11 million gallons of oil. The ecologically sensitive location, season of the year, and large scale of this spill resulted in one of the largest environmental disasters in U.S. history.
Could the Exxon Valdez disaster have been prevented?
Exxon Valdez was a single-hulled tanker; a double-hull design, by making it less likely that a collision would have spilled oil, might have prevented the Exxon Valdez disaster. The ship, Exxon Valdez —first commissioned in 1986—was repaired and returned to service a year after the spill in a different ocean and under a different name.
Why did Exxon file suit against the state of Alaska?
In October 1989, Exxon filed suit against the State of Alaska, charging that the state had interfered with Exxon’s attempts to clean up the spill by refusing to approve the use of dispersant chemicals until the night of the 26th.
Did brain and Pinky cause the grounding of the Exxon Valdez?
On Sep 25, 1998, the fifth episode of the fourth season of Pinky and the Brain, “The Pinky and the Brain Reunion Special,” showed a brief snippet of Brain and Pinky boarding the Exxon Valdez, thus insinuating they were the cause of the grounding. ^ “Properties of Prudhoe Bay (2004) (ESTS #679)” (PDF).