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Construction P1
Construction of the Exxon Valdez started. This photo shows the construction of the tanker. The tanker was a single hulled tanker. Single hulled tankers only surround the oil with one layer of protection. If the hull in a signle-hulled ship is broken, oil will spill out. Double-hulled tankers are preferable because they have an extra layer of protection. If the outermost hull is broken, the other hull will still hold the oil. -
Setting Sail
The large tanker left for California carrying crude oil -
The Spill
The Exxon Valdez, a tanker, hit a reef. The collision with the reef caused the tanker to leak oil all over the Alaska area, leading to more problems in the near and distant future. These problems included difficulties with clean up and harm to animals and other sea life. -
Clean Up P2
Clean up started imediately. Three main techniques were used for cleaning up. Oil was burned however the weather created problems with burning. Skimmers were used for mechanical clean up. Skimmers were harder to locate and required more time especially as the equipment got clogged and needed repair. A final method of cleaning was dispersants, Dispersants were hard to use in larger areas and were proven to not be very effective. -
P4
Senator Albert Gore Jr., a Tennessee Democrat who is active on environmental issues said, ''A huge spill like this focuses media coverage and political attention, not only on the environment itself, but also on the larger problems for which it is a metaphor massive quantities into our ground water, surface water, atmosphere and stratosphere.'' -
Oil Pollution Act Passed
US Congress passed the Oil Polution Act in 1990. The stated that all single-hulled tankers need to be out of the water by 2010. Only double-hulled tankers could continue to carry oil. -
Effects Survey
In 2001 a survey was conducted to investigate the remaining effects of the spill. Oil was found on or under about half of the beaches near the spill. -
Lasting damages
The effects of the oil spill after 20 years are explained in an article written by Doug Struck. He says that some species, including salmon and sea otters, are doing well. Others species including killer whales and herring have not fully recovered and populations remained low at this time. -
BP Oil Spill
An oil well exploded on April 20, 2010. Before 2010, Exxon Valdez was the largest oil spill. This event is significant because it changed history; the BP oil spill was larger than the Exxon Valdez oil spill and therefore the largest oil spill to date. -
Oil Pollution Act
By 2010 all single-hulled tankers were required to be out of the water and only double-hulled tankers were allowed to carry crude oil. -
Growth in Response
The Exxon Valdez oil spill has allowed for short-term and long-term research of the ecological effects of pil spills. Scientists have been able to better understand how to respond and recover from events such as the Exxon Valdez oil spill. The Exxon Valdez oil spill allowed for documentation and experimentation of these effects. In the future, changes will be made in clean up to better protect sea life and plant life. -
Lasting effect P3
This picture shows a couple of victims of the oil spill. In addition to sea otters, salmon, seals, and sea birds were effected by the oil spill. Many animals will die from hypothermia after oil spills due to the fact that the oil interferes with their fur and feathers that act as insulation. Ingesting oil can act as poison to sea life and cause many health problems including death.
