The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

Massive cleanup efforts were initiated within a few weeks of the spill and they continued at reduced levels for the next three years. Approximately 14% of the spilled oil was recovered by cleanup crews (Newsweek, p.50). As a result of these efforts and natural weathering, little oil from the spill remained in the affected area by 1992. However, according to the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration some oil residues are still found under the ocean surface in areas sheltered from wind and waves. Yet, these residues are highly weathered and the toxicity is reduced to levels tolerable by organisms in the water (7). Nonetheless, the magnitude and timing of the Exxon Valdez oil spill raised immediate concerns about possible effects on marine fish and wildlife and prospects that these effects might be long lasting.

Imagine 2,500 to 68,000 square miles covered in 4.9 million barrels of oil. No, imagine being covered in 4.9 million barrels of oil. Picture yourself gasping for air in an ocean filled with oil. That is exactly what birds, sea turtles, dolphins, and other animals had to do after the most catastrophic oil spill of all time occurred on April 20, 2010.

Yes, losing human life was bad enough already, but we also lost a lot of oil and most importantly the spill effected the marine life. The fish, turtles and birds that were in the area, were all drenched in the oil, majority of it didn’t survive. The fish that have survived, where infected/affected by the chemicals. As we all know oil does not stay in one area, it spreads like butter on the hot skillet, effecting even larger marine life area than expected. Obviously BP and people responsible for the spill have faced numerous fine and conducted numerous operations to clean up the mess, but it is almost impossible. As time progressed, some oil eventually sunk to the bottom, which effected coral and food that fish eat. According to CNN, “Scientists continue to study environmental impacts, but five years after the spill, the long-term negative effects remain unclear and are, in many cases, highly disputed.”(Griffin et al., 2015, para.

The oil spill created long term problems for the living organisms that inhabit the Gulf of Mexico. The oil covered the feathers of birds, making them unable to float at the surface. The oil killed some of the deep sea coral as far as seven miles away from the site. Mammals ingested the oil, which resulted in some of the mammals having internal bleeding and ulcers. This has also lead to an increase in sea turtles stranding, sick dolphins, and a decrease in population of many marine animals. This disaster stuck during the breeding season for many species of wildlife. “The oil’s toxicity may have hit egg and larval organisms immediately”, which could have wiping out those age classes. Population dips and cascading food web has occurred due to

One of the most recognized disasters regarding hazardous chemicals is the wreck of the infamous Exxon Valdez. After the oil tanker ran aground on Bligh reef in the spring of 1989, millions of liters of crude oil leaked into the Prince William Sound, off the coast of Northern Alaska causing millions of the native wildlife to die. Thankfully, it didn’t seep into the open ocean but the oil harmed not only the local Alaskan wildlife it also harmed the reputation and honesty of big oil corporations such as the Exxon shipping company, the livelihoods of thousands of the local fishermen and the water quality of the Prince William Sound. The Exxon Valdez

Initial government response to the disaster proved challenging due to the remote location of Prince William Sound. As a result, this led to a slow and inadequate clean up of oil in the Alaskan waters. The oil clean up took approximately four years, until the clean up efforts were eventually called off by the

This presentation features the Exxon Valdez oil spill, which significantly affected the environment in and around Valdez, Alaska. In this connection, Group D will explore: the background information of Prince William Sound, the oil business in Valdez and the event of the oil spill. Next, the team defines the problems – that is, the effects of the spill – what damage did it cause. After, we will diagnose the issues – meaning that the group intends to pinpoint the root causes of the problems. The next step is to substantiate that the stated causes are linked to the issues; to accomplish the aforesaid, the response time and level of preparedness will be analysed. In order to mitigate similar incidents, the team explores action plans that have

Another media that went over the spill was national geographic. This was to be expected as national geographic is defiantly for the wildlife. Geographics opinion of this was no shocker for the viewers. National Geographic has predicted that the waters would never again be

The BP oil was who had the spill. Shrimp, Fish, Dolphins, Birds, Turtles, and other animals were starved, killed, poisoned and there habitat was messed up and there food was killed (Friedman 29). Most of the pelicans and birds was covered in oil and made it where they can’t fly (Friedman 30).

In this century, there are nothing new about human corruption of the earth. However, in this article said that today, scientists has investigated the effects of Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989 on Alaskan communities and ecosystems for embryonic salmon and herring. Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska shows that the spill may had much greater impacts on spawning fish than previously recognized because of crude oil can develop hidden heart defects that adjustment for their later survival.

On April 28th, 2010 cleanup crews were rushing to clean up a huge oil spill on the Gulf of Mexico. This spill occurred because of an oil rig explosion that took place on April 20th. The oil spill was threatening miles of coast line in four different states, and not to mention marine wild life that live in those waters. This oil spill soon became the worst oil spill the United States had ever seen. There were 126 workers on board the oil rig when it exploded, most of the workers escaped, but eleven were missing but then confirmed dead. The cause of the explosion is being investigated. Since the explosion, experts estimated a total of 210,000 gallons of oil were spilling into the gulf. Experts are also worried about the sea life and how

Past oil spills varied in size. Although, the Gulf oil spill of 2010 was significantly larger. The first spills leaked under one

Cleanup was very slow moving due to logistical issues, and its remote location. Numerous methods were used for cleanup, including booms, skimmers, burning, dispersants, hot water – all with their pros and cons. Over 10,000 people were involved in cleanup efforts – many of them inexperienced due to the size of the oil spill. Cleanup was put on hold for the winter months due to concerns of worker safety (http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/152720). The overall losses, both economic and environmental were staggering. Numerous agencies and organizations were involved, and the highest priority areas were identified. However efforts remained slow and resources did not make it to the affected areas quickly enough, resulting in huge wildlife impacts (http://www2.epa.gov/emergency-response/exxon-valdez-spill-profile). For years to come, and some even argue to this day, the

On March 24, 1989 there was an Exxon Valdez oil tanker accident off of Alaska. The oil tanker carried around 50 million gallons. Of those 50 million gallons, about 11 million were spilled. It was a devastating spill that covered more than 1200 miles of shoreline with oil. Due to the size of the spill, a lot of time and effort was used to clean up the oil. About 10,000 workers, 1000 boats, and 100airplanes/helicopters were involved in the cleanup.

In 1989 the oil tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground on Bligh Reef located off the coast of Alaska. The Exxon Valdez spilled thousands of barrels of oil into Prince William Sound, which was the biggest oil spill to date. “Thousands of animals and hundreds of thousands of birds died in the days immediately after the spill. The fishing and tourism industries suffered losses estimated in the millions of dollars” (Loeb & McCall, 2008). The incident was investigated thoroughly and legal cases were pursued against ExxonMobile.