Why is the Exxon Valdez a significant disaster?

Answer 1

The Exxon Valdez accident had significant environmental impacts. The spill, which released 11 million gallons of oil into the Prince William Sound in Alaska , affected 1,300 miles of shoreline. There were cleanup efforts for four consecutive summers, when the efforts were stopped. Not all of the beaches were cleaned, and some beaches remain oiled today. At the height of the cleanup efforts, there were 10,000 workers, 1,000 boats, and 100 planes working. Many different techniques for cleanup were tried, including hot water treatment, high pressure treatment, mechanical removal, bioremediation, and chemical agents. Some of these cleanup efforts, which cost Exxon $2.1 billion, were discontinued because they were having other harmful effects on organisms in the environment. Countless animals and organisms were killed or harmed by the oil spill. This spill had many economic and environmental impacts. The spill harmed local economies because fishing was drastically limited, fishing and recreation reduced, and the tourism industry of Alaska was significantly impacted. The many animals that were killed or injured also affected different industries in and around the Prince William Sound. The many ecological benefits these organisms provided helped a variety of ecosystems to flourish, and in turn helped to sustain the fishing, recreation, and tourism economies. That so many animals and plants were killed meant the overall productivity of the Prince William Sound was reduced, and the environmental impacts of destructive oil were extensive. Not only did the spill cause an initial reduction in the animal populations and Sound's productivity, but the effects of the spill lingered for many years. The populations of many different animals and plants were harmed by the spill and it has taken many years for these populations to recover. The Exxon Valdez oil spill was tragic because of the initial loss of marine and terrestrial life, but the many economic and environmental effects were just as devastating.