Spill Stories

In the decades since the Exxon Valdez spill, many voices among those who experienced the tragedy firsthand have been lost. Those who responded to the spill will never forget it, though many may wish to. The Council has documented many stories and materials related to the spill.

The Spill: Personal Stories from the Exxon Valdez Disaster

In 2009, the Council published a book, “The Spill: Personal Stories from the Exxon Valdez Disaster,” including personal stories of some of those that lived through the spill. Copies of “The Spill” are available free of charge for education purposes by contacting the Council.

More: The Spill: Personal Stories from the Exxon Valdez Disaster

Exxon Valdez oral history interviews

In 2014, twenty-five years after the Exxon Valdez disaster, the voices of local citizens were preserved as part of the Oral History Program at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. This archive helps us broaden our understanding of this tragic incident by documenting the voices of those who lived throughout that long-standing turmoil.

More: Oral Histories of Exxon Valdez oil spill

Stories from a citizens’ council

In 2013, key participants in the formation of the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council were interviewed about their experience. These stories help us understand how citizens and the oil industry rallied together to create an oversight group to protect Prince William Sound from future oil spills.

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Then & Now: 35 Years After the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

Thirty-five years after the Exxon Valdez oil spill, what has changed? This report, Then & Now, reviews what changes have been made and what’s left to improve.

More: Then & Now: 35 Years After the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

Alaska’s Standard for Oil Spill Prevention and Response

Alaska, and Prince William Sound in particular, is known for its world-class oil spill prevention and response system. But it wasn’t always that way. In March of 1989, when the Exxon Valdez ran aground and spilled at least 11 million gallons of crude oil, responders were ill-prepared. One of the report’s authors, Tim Robertson, directed oil spill response operations in Seldovia after the Exxon Valdez spill and was an early member of the Council’s Board of Directors.