Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Presentation

Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Presentation

• 1.
  Exxon Valdez OilSpill and Kodiak Island May 12, 2008 Louise Bassette, Andrea Johnson, Christine Coonradt, John McCabe
• 2.
  Background March 24th , 1989 Exxon Valdez oil tanker ran aground on Bligh Reef Spilled 11 million gallons of oil into the Prince William Sound, Alaska
• 3.
  Probable Causes ofthe Grounding Improper maneuvering of the vessel Improper navigation (alcohol impairment?) Fatigue Ineffective vessel traffic system, U.S. Coast Guard Ineffective pilot and escort services
• 4.
  Behavior of theOil
• 5.
  Control and CleanupControlled burns Mechanical Booms Skimmers Permanent storage containers Chemical dispersants Sensitive environments were identified, defined according to degree of cleanup, and then ranked for their priority for cleanup
• 6.
  Shoreline Treatment Hosesspraying seawater flushed oil from shorelines Heated seawater Manual cleanup Raking Tilling Oily debris pickup Bioremediation Spot washing
• 7.
  Remaining Oil Cleanupefforts were greatly reduced by the Spring of 1991 2001 NOAA study surveyed 96 sites along 8,000 miles of coastline Surface oil not good indicator of subsurface oil Oil saturated subsurface regions Areas with the most subsurface oil were found low in the intertidal zones
• 8.
  Economic Impacts Recreationalsport fishing losses Tourism losses Existence value Replacement costs of birds and animals
• 9.
  Ecological Impacts 250,000Birds 250 Bald Eagles 2,800 Sea Otters 300 Harbor Seals Thousands of fish, herring eggs, and crabs At least 22 Killer Whales Intertidal plants and animals
• 10.
  Litigation In 1994,class action jury trial held a federal court in Anchorage, Alaska Plaintiffs: 32,000 fishermen, natives, and landowners affected by the oil Exxon was to pay $5 billion in punitive damages Exxon has repeatedly appealed the damages award
• 11.
  Lessons Learned fromthe Oil Spill Chemical and physical cleanup efforts can result in strong biological reactions with the environment Oil that has seeped into soil can resurface over time Type of environment influences oil degradation rates Oil penetrates deep and weathers slowly on rocky, rubble shores Extensive damage to animals from long-term interactions with their environment Exposure to weathered oil effects fish growth and behavior
• 12.
  Improvements in OilSpill Prevention and Response Planning Monitoring full tankers via satellite Two escort vessels accompanying tankers while they pass through the entire sound Specially trained marine pilots Double-hulled tankers Yearly drills held for spill scenarios New and improved skimming technologies More storage space for spilled oil More containment booms available Oil Pollution Act of 1990
• 13.
  The Exxon Valdez