Further, researchers found that washing oiled beaches with hot water hoses was an extremely effective way of removing the oil, but it damaged the fauna and flora even more. There are many theories as to what caused Exxon Valdez’s oil spill.
What can we learn from the Exxon Valdez oil spill?
The Exxon Valdez incident has highlighted many problems associated with liability and compensation when an oil spill occurs. Comprehensive U.S. oil spill liability and compensation legislation is necessary as soon as possible to address these concerns. The United States should ratify the International Maritime Organization (IMO) 1984 Protocols.
Who prepared the Exxon Valdez incident report?
Prepared by the National Response Team, this report was requested by the President and undertaken by Secretary of Transportation Samuel K. Skinner and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator William K. Reilly. The report addresses the preparedness for, the response to, and early lessons learned from the Exxon Valdez incident.
Can bioremediation clean up the Valdez oil spill?
In a letter to Exxon, EPA provided information that would support the use of bioremediation as a cleanup technique for the Valdez oil spill. EPA's recommendations are based on the preliminary results of a small-scale feasibility test the agency began in June using indigenous microorganisms to degrade spilled oil on the Sound shoreline.
How much did it cost to clean up the Exxon Valdez?
According to History, it cost about $3.8 billion to clean up the Exxon Valdez oil spill, one of the most expensive cleanups in history. $2 billion in cleanup costs and $1.8 billion for habitat restoration and personal damages from the spill.
What chemical is used to clean up oil spills?
DispersantsDispersants are chemicals designed to break up oil into droplets, allowing spills to dissolve or degrade more quickly. To combat the Deepwater Horizon spill, BP used two types of dispersant, Corexit 9500 and Corexit 9527, both manufactured by Nalco Environmental Solutions.
How was the Deepwater Horizon oil spill cleaned up?
In the case of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, clean-up workers treated the oil with over 1.4 million gallons of various chemical dispersants. Typically such large amounts are sprayed over the open ocean from an airplane or helicopter.
Was the Exxon Valdez repaired?
After the spill, the vessel was towed to San Diego arriving on June 10, 1989, and repairs were started on June 30, 1989. Approximately 1,600 tons of steel were removed and replaced that July, totaling US$30 million of repairs to the tanker. Its single-hull design remained unaltered.
What type of bioremediation is used for oil spills?
Three main types of bioremediation used for petroleum spills include microbial remediation, phytoremediation, and mycoremediation.
How was Exxon Valdez cleaned up?
Oil Spill Cleanup Cleanup workers skimmed oil from the water's surface, sprayed oil dispersant chemicals in the water and on shore, washed oiled beaches with hot water and rescued and cleaned animals trapped in oil.
How are oil spills cleaned up on land?
Although they may be used as the sole cleanup method in small spills, sorbents are most often used to remove final traces of oil, or in areas that cannot be reached by skimmers. Once sorbents have been used to recover oil, they must be removed from the water and properly disposed of on land or cleaned for re-use.
How long did it take to clean up the Exxon Valdez oil spill?
around three yearsClean-Up of the Exxon Valdez Spill The entire course of the clean-up operation took around three years from 1989 to 1992 and even now, monitoring is being carried out in the entire length of the coastline to observe any late-emerging effects of the oil spill.
How did the Exxon Corporation respond to the Exxon Valdez disaster of 1989?
Oil Spill Response Field Manual The 1989 Valdez accident was one of the lowest points in ExxonMobil's long history. However, we took immediate responsibility for the spill and have spent over $4.3 billion as a result of the accident, including compensatory payments, cleanup payments, settlements and fines.
Was the Exxon Valdez scrapped?
The End Is Near With this last misfortune, the final countdown to oblivion began in earnest for the vessel-formerly-known-as-Exxon Valdez. In March 2011, the ship was sold for scrap to a U.S.-based company called Global Marketing Systems (GMS).
How effective is bioremediation for oil spills?
With proper nutrients, oil spills can be cleaned at a rate of 1.2% each day by using bioremediation techniques (Atlas & Hazen, 2011). Hypoxia was not detected in these areas.
Which bacteria is used to remove oil spills?
Several species of hydrocarbon-eating bacteria, like Alcanivorax borkumensis, feasted on the spilled oil, assisting with the disaster clean-up efforts. Alcanivorax was one of the types of bacteria that Todd and his group found in the Challenger Deep.
What is a device designed to remove thin layers of oil from the surface of the water?
Booms: Booms are long, floating barriers used to contain or prevent the spread of spilled oil. 4. Skimming: Skimming is achieved with boats equipped with a floating skimmer designed to remove thin layers of oil from the surface, often with the help of booms.
What was the impact of the Exxon Valdez oil spill?
The collision ruptured 8 of the 11 cargo tanks meaning that over the next few days, 250,000 barrels of crude oil spilled into the Prince William Sound.
How much did Exxon pay for the oil spill?
After the spill, federal responders, Exxon employees, and around 11,000 Alaskan residents worked to clean up the spill. Exxon had to pay around $2 billion in costs and another $1.8 billion for habitat restoration and personal damages.
What is the name of the oil tanker that spilled oil into the Prince William Sound?
“Valdez,” a name that is now forever connected to one of the world’s worst, and certainly most damaging, oil spills. It was the name of an Exxon oil tanker that spilled around 11 million gallons of crude oil into the Prince William Sound in Alaska. There have been many accidents in marine history since the discovery of oil, but none are quite as ingrained in the collective consciousness, especially in American history, like the Exxon Valdez accident. So what happened? Was it a complete accident or was someone at fault? Plus, what were the short and long-term effects?
Who prepared the Exxon Valdez report?
Prepared by the National Response Team , this report was requested by the President and undertaken by Secretary of Transportation Samuel K. Skinner and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator William K. Reilly. The report addresses the preparedness for, the response to, and early lessons learned from the Exxon Valdez incident.
Why is expeditious ratification important?
Expeditious ratification is essential to ensure international agreement on responsibilities associated with oil spills around the world. Federal planning for oil spills must be improved. The National Contingency Plan (NCP) has helped to minimize environmental harm and health impacts from accidents.
What is the first line of defense?
Prevention is the first line of defense. Avoidance of accidents remains the best way to assure the quality and health of our environment. We must continue to take steps to minimize the probability of oil spills. Preparedness must be strengthened.
Is oil a vital resource?
Some oil spills may be inevitable. Oil is a vital resource that is inherently dangerous to use and transport. We therefore must balance environmental risks with the nation's energy requirements. The nation must recognize that there is no fail-safe prevention, preparedness, or response system.
Was Exxon Valdez prepared for a spill?
Exxon was not prepared for a spill of this magnitude--nor were Alyeska, the State of Alaska, or the federal government. It is clear that the planning for and response to the Exxon Valdez incident was unequal to the task.
When did the Exxon Valdez oil spill happen?
When the Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred on March 24, 1989, it was one of the largest U.S. economic and environmental disasters, similar to the BP Gulf Coast explosion in 2010. Shortly after midnight, the Valdez struck Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska, spilling over 11 million gallons of crude oil. There were a number of factors that also ...
How much did it cost to clean up the Exxon Valdez spill?
How much did the Exxon Valdez oil spill cost to clean up? According to History, it cost about $3.8 billion to clean up the Exxon Valdez oil spill, one of the most expensive cleanups in history. $2 billion in cleanup costs and $1.8 billion for habitat restoration and personal damages from the spill.
How many sea birds died in the Valdez oil spill?
The Exxon Valdez oil spill killed over 250,000 sea birds, 250 bald eagles, 2,800 sea otters, 300 harbor seals, almost 22 killer whales and billions of herring and salmon eggs, according to the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council. The spill had killed almost 40 percent of all sea otters in the Prince William Sound, and they didn’t recover until after 2014, twenty-five years later.
What happened to the Exxon Valdez?
What Happened During the Spill. On the evening of March 23, 1989, the Exxon Valdez left the port of Valdez on its way to Long Beach, CA with 53 million gallons of Prudhoe Bay crude oil. At precisely 12:04 on March 24th, the ship struck Bligh Reef at the Prince William Sound in Alaska.
How much oil was recovered from Exxon Valdez?
Despite the cleanup efforts of over 11,000 people, $2 billion and aggressive use of the most advanced technology at the time, only 8 percent of the oil was recovered, according to the Pacific Science Director for Oceana Dr. Jeffrey Short in a 2009 House Committee on Natural Resources hearing. ...
How did the oil cleanup work?
The cleanup workers had skimmed oil from the water’s surface, washed oil beaches with hot water, rescued and cleaned animals covered in oil and sprayed oil dispersant chemicals in the water and on shore. While some areas were left untreated for inspection, they later found that high-pressure washing, hot water hoses was effective in removing oil, but killed even more plants and animals in the process.
When was the Exxon Valdez renamed?
First commissioned in 1986, the Exxon Valdez was repaired and returned to sea for service a year after the spill, but under a different name. The ship was no longer allowed to transport oil in the U.S. waters due to the new regulation, but began running oil transport routes in Europe instead. There it was renamed Exxon Mediterranean, then ...
What Caused The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill?
The Impact of The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
- Today, the Exxon Valdez oil spill is regarded as one of the worst environmental disasters in world history, alongside other events like Three Mile Island and Chernobyl. The effects of the spill were as disastrous as any nightmare might predict. The collision ruptured 8 of the 11 cargo tanks meaning that over the next few days, 250,000 barrels of crude oil spilled into the Prince William …
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Cleanup
- After the spill, federal responders, Exxon employees, and around 11,000 Alaskan residents worked to clean up the spill. Exxon had to pay around $2 billion in costs and another $1.8 billion for habitat restoration and personal damages. To remove the oil from the water, works skimmed the surface, sprayed dispersant chemicals into the water and onto t...
Has Anything Changed Since The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill?
- Since the Valdez struck Bligh Reef, an automated light was installed with the hope of preventing further accidents. Unfortunately, it was not enough and another ship, the tug Pathfinder, hit the reef in 2009. It too ruptured its tanks and spilled diesel fuel. President George H.W. Bush signed the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 into law, meaning that penalties would be increased for oil spills. Th…
Timeline of Events Following The Ezzon Valdez Oil Spill
- Evening–March 23, 1989: Exxon Valdez leaves Valdez, Alaska with 53 million gallons of Prudhoe Bay crude oil.
- Evening–March 23, 1989: Captain Joseph Hazelwood changed course to avoid icebergs and handed control over to the Third Mate.
- 12:04 AM– March 24, 1989: The Valdez hit Bligh Reef in Alaska’s Prince William Sound, tearin…
- Evening–March 23, 1989: Exxon Valdez leaves Valdez, Alaska with 53 million gallons of Prudhoe Bay crude oil.
- Evening–March 23, 1989: Captain Joseph Hazelwood changed course to avoid icebergs and handed control over to the Third Mate.
- 12:04 AM– March 24, 1989: The Valdez hit Bligh Reef in Alaska’s Prince William Sound, tearing an opening in the ship’s hull.
- 1989: Affected residents of Alaska began to file civil lawsuits against Exxon.
