The Exxon Valdez disaster happened 21 years ago, but with the devastating spill unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico many are fearing a repeat.
It was March 24, 1989 when the tanker hit a reef dumping 11 million gallons of Alaska crude into the pristine Prince William Sound. 1,300 miles of shoreline were blackened killing an estimated 250,000 birds and more than 1,000 sea otters. It also shut down one of the most important fisheries in the United States.
The cleanup took four years at a cost of $2-billion. And while the government declared the job done in 1992, restoration work continues to this day. Of the 31 species that were impacted, 10 are fully recovered including bald eagles. Another 19 species are listed as recovering and two have never returned, pigeon guillemots and pacific herring.
The fishing town of Cordova which was ground zero for the economic blow has adapted. Those with worthless herring permits either went out of business or switched to fishing halibut and salmon both of which are plentiful again. Many of the fisherman received large compensation checks from Exxon including Ken Adams who was paid $500,000 for his losses. In all, it’s estimated that Cordova and the fishing industry lost $160-million due to the spill.
Most troubling is the amount of oil that still lingers in the environment. NOAA recently finished a study in which it dug 9,000 holes along hundreds of miles of Alaska shoreline. Researchers found oil present in half of the holes and now estimate that 21,000 gallons of oil remain in the soil and may stay there for a hundred more years.
There’s debate about whether to bring heavy equipment in to dig the oil out or just leave it. Scientists know that as long as the oil stays it impacts species. Otters, for example, are diggers. They look for food in shallow water and along the coast. They are continuing to be exposed to the toxic Exxon Valdez oil.
Exxon officials say the company has spent $4.3 billion since the spill. It’s gone to cleanup, compensating fishermen, settlements with state and federal governments and fines. Out of the devastation has come many new safeguards.
Under the Oil Pollution Act, oil tankers must have double hulls, tugs are required to guide tankers out of Valdez and there is much more of a spill response team in place. And some of the lessons learned from the Exxon Valdez are helping in the response in the Gulf.
An oil spill expert has been sent to consult and a spill response group just flew thousands of gallons of chemical dispersant to the region. Alaskans know all too well, the extent of the damage done when oil reaches land.