What we learned from the Exxon Valdez (BBC)

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By Stephen Dowling
BBC News


It is 20 years since the Exxon Valdez supertanker ran aground in Alaska, spilling 38,000 tonnes of crude oil into the sheltered waters of a picturesque sound. It wasn't the biggest oil spill recorded but it was, arguably, the most iconic.

The ripples from the Exxon Valdez's accident in 1989 continue to be felt to this day.

And it's not just the waters of Prince William Sound that have been altered. The oil industry itself has had to adapt.

The spill killed thousands of seabirds, seals and sea otters and poisoned millions of fish. The sticky residue fouled 11,000 square miles (28,380 sq km) of ocean and over 1,250 miles (2,000km) of coastline.
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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7960144.stm




Much of the rest of the article is about lessons learned, and progress made.