Oral History of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

The final outcome of this project will be a two-volume book of stories told by those who experienced the Exxon Valdez oil spill first-hand.

No oral history of the Exxon Valdez spill has ever been compiled; this will be a unique product that we see as a tool to better understand the event's causes, impacts, and lessons.

Homer-based writer Sharon Bushell has conducted interviews with approximately 100 people whose stories are to be included in the book. A long-time Alaskan, Bushell is perhaps best known for her profiles of the state's pioneers and other residents in the "We Alaskans" series.

The Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989 was the largest oil spill in the history of North America. It did great harm to the environment of Prince William Sound and adjoining waters and to the commercial fishing industry in those waters. It also created great social and economic strains in communities on Prince William Sound and adjoining waters.

The time has come to preserve these personal experiences permanently in the form of a book. The first part will consist of interviews with people who directly experienced the spill and its aftermath: Alaska citizens; government agency personnel involved with the spill and cleanup; elected officials who dealt with the spill; and oil industry personnel involved in the spill and cleanup. The second part will analyze the lessons in oil spill prevention and response to be drawn from this wealth of personal experience.