Exxon Valdez 10 Years Later
The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill: 10 Years LaterThe Exxon Valdez Oil Spill: 10 Years Later Four minutes after midnight on March 24,1989, the oil tanker Exxon Valdez hit Bligh Reef in Alaska’s Prince William Sound. Eleven million gallons of North Slope oil spewed into one of the most bountiful marine ecosystems in the world, killing birds, marine mammals, fish, and devastating the ecosystem. (Exxon Valdez Oil Spill: Could It Happen Again?, 2000, May 10) Exxon claims the Sound has recovered, but environmental groups claim otherwise. Who is right? This environmental disaster caused more destruction of wildlife then any other in our nation’s history. Approximately, half a million birds died including bald eagles, harlequin ducks, marbled murrelets and loons. It also greatly affected fish. Critical spawning and rearing habitats, including over 100 salmon streams, were besieged in oil. In 1993, there was an unprecedented crash of the
Studies indicate that in certain species of fish, genetic mutations have already occurred because of the spill. Dispersants work much like detergent does in your washing machine. Specialists from the Hubbs Marine Institute in San Diego, California, set up a facility to clean oil from otters, and the International Bird Research Center of Berkeley, California, established a center to clean and rehabilitate oiled waterfowl. Today in Prince William Sound, tugs escort tankers in and out, and a state-of-the-art radar system tracks both ships and icebergs. Coast Guard’s On-Scene Coordinator had authority for all activities related to the cleanup effort. (Exxon Valdez, 2000, May 8) Exxon reports it has done much to improve oil-spill prevention. The Cleanup Once help arrived cleanup began immediately. Exxon Valdez Oil Spill7Oil containment booms and other response equipment are stockpiled in the Sound and elsewhere in the United States to enable quick and effective spill response. Emergency response teams are trained and stand ready in essential locations. (Exxon Valdez, 2000, May 8) Other agencies were also involved. The Alaska Regional Response Team was brought together by teleconference, and the National Response Team was activated soon thereafter. Three national parks, three national wildlife refuges and one national forest was oiled.
Common topics in this essay:
Oil Spill,
Exxon Valdez,
Berkeley California,
Environmental Impact,
William Sound,
Coast Guard,
Exxon Exxon-Mobil,
Spill Happen,
North Slope,
exxon valdez,
exxon valdez oil,
valdez oil,
oil spill,
Valdez Oil,
valdez oil spill,
william sound,
prince william,
prince william sound,
2000 10,
2000 8,
2000 8 exxon,
valdez 2000,
valdez 2000 8,
spill happen,
coast guard,
|
Acceptance Essays
