Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
At a glance:
- Series: Great Events from History: North American Series
- Categories: Science, Economics, Environmental Issues, Disasters
- Subcategories: Business, Energy, Fuel, Power Sources, Pollution, Toxic Waste
- Curriculum: American History 1951-present
- Geographical Location: Alaska
- Date: March 24, 1989
Article abstract: The largest oil spill in U.S. waters focuses attention on the environmental, economic, and political consequences of tanker ship operations.
Summary of Event
At 12:27 a.m., March 24, 1989, Captain Joseph J. Hazelwood reported the Exxon Valdez aground on Bligh Reef, twenty-eight miles from Valdez, Alaska, in Prince William Sound. Eight of eleven cargo tanks and three of five ballast tanks were punctured, spilling about 258,000 of the 1,480,000 barrels of oil aboard the tanker.
At one time, stringent restrictions had been...
[The entire page is 1544 words long]
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