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History of PWSRCAC and the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

 

Citizen Involvement

Before the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989 there was no mechanism, other than public hearings by regulatory agencies, for citizens to advise the oil industry or otherwise speak directly on operations affecting their communities and livelihoods. Earlier attempts by Prince William Sound residents to give input to oil industry representatives were generally met with negative responses.

Much has been done in the years since 1989 to address the factors that lead to that catastrophic oil spill. New and revised federal and state laws and regulations are in place, and the oil industry operates with a heightened awareness of the consequences of a major spill.

Perhaps the most radical innovation to come out of the Exxon Valdez oil spill was the establishment of permanent, industry-funded citizens’ councils for Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet to oversee both the oil transportation industry and its government regulators.

The Exxon spill could have been averted by stronger prevention practices and more vigilant government oversight. Better response planning in advance could have lessened the impacts of the spill. The first three days after the Exxon Valdez oil spill afforded nearly ideal weather for oil recovery. Seas and winds were calm. But the equipment wasn’t ready.

The Exxon Valdez oil spill was not simply a freak accident. While Exxon Corp. was immediately responsible, other factors were also at work. The oil industry, government agencies, elected officials and the citizens of Alaska share responsibility for the complacency that allowed the spill to occur and failed to ensure a prompt, effective cleanup.

• The oil industry failed to maintain adequate systems for preventing and responding to oil spills
  
• Regulatory agencies failed to protect public resources because of ineffective or inadequate oversight
  
• State and federal elected officials failed to pass laws strong enough to protect the environment and give regulatory agencies the funds they needed to protect public resources
  
• Except for a few outspoken local citizens, many Alaskans simply failed to pay attention

The Prince William Sound Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council believes Alaska waters and the communities affected by the Exxon spill are, in fact, safer today. But we can never relax. Continued vigilance is essential to ensure that protections are not diluted and gains are not lost as memories of the spill fade.

Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Overview

 

Photos immediately below courtesy of Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council.
	The Exxon Valdez oil spill is the largest oil spill to have occurred in the United States and is widely considered the most environmentally destructive, due to the remote and pristine condition of the damaged area. The oil tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground on a charted rock, Bligh Reef, in Prince William Sound on Good Friday, March 24, 1989. The ship ran aground after leaving the designated tanker lanes because of earlier reports of icebergs in the area.
	Eleven million gallons (257,000 barrels) of Alaska North Slope crude oil spilled into the resource-laden environment, less than 30 miles from Valdez. The oil fouled approximately 1,300 miles of wildlife-abundant shoreline. Spilled oil damaged shoreline from Bligh Reef to Kodiak Island and beyond. Oil washed up on shores near Chignik, as far as 470 miles from Bligh Reef, a distance comparable to that from Cape Cod to North Carolina.
	The estimated initial death toll of the spill included 250,000 seabirds, 2,800 sea otters, 300 harbor seals, 250 bald eagles, up to 22 killer whales, billions of salmon and herring eggs, and other intertidal plants and animals. Some injured species are still recovering.
	The people and economies of communities in the oil spill region suffered in the months and years following the spill. Commercial fishing and tourism were especially affected.
	View map of Prince William Sound
Photos immediately below are courtesy of the Office of Response and Restoration, National Ocean Service, NOAA.
	A brown sediment plume and sheens of refloated oil drift away from this oiled beach as it is cleaned by a team applying high-pressure, hot-water washing. Refloating of oil and release of sediment are often unavoidable consequences of shoreline cleanup that can cause additional environmental harm.
	Bags of Exxon Valdez cleanup debris await disposal. Much of the debris collected during the Exxon Valdez cleanup was eventually deposited in a landfill in Oregon State, the closest facility certified to properly handle the waste.

 

Poor Clean-up Response

The initial clean-up response in March 1989 was slow, ineffective and poorly coordinated.

The first three days after the Exxon Valdez oil spill afforded nearly ideal weather for oil recovery. Seas and winds were calm. But the equipment wasn't ready. Seventeen hours after the grounding, neither the leading edge of the spill nor the grounded tanker had been boomed. The few skimmers on-scene were operating ineffectively.

 

Cordova area fisherman took cleanup initiative. These photos were taken off of Knight Island in Prince William Sound, on day 18 of the Exxon Valdez oil spill clean-up effort. Photos by former council board member Tom Copeland.

Oil is still present on some shores, despite mechanical and chemical (bioremediation) clean-up efforts totaling more than $2 billion between 1989 and 1992. Eight sections of beach near Chenega Bay were cleaned again in 1997. A casual scan of the shoreline reveals little evidence of oil, but weathered oil remains trapped beneath rocks and in the subsurface of the more heavily oiled beaches.

For more details of the incident, please visit: Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council

NOAA's National Ocean Service site also offers a good overview of the Exxon Valdez oil spill and its effects: Prince William's Oily Mess: A Tale of Recovery

Pollution Monitoring

While it was the Exxon Valdez incident that focused world attention on Prince William Sound in 1989, a catastrophic spill is not the only risk posed by the crude oil trade.

The Sound and its residents are also at risk of pollution from routine operations—such things as the release of hazardous vapors during the loading of crude oil to the tankers, leaks or permitted discharges from the Valdez terminal, small spills of crude oil or refined products by tankers loading at the terminal, and even the invasion of Prince William Sound by non-native sea life.

Visit our Projects pages for in-depth information on these topics.