Impact of the Exxon Valdez Spill on the Environment

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Table of Contents

Introduction
The Problem
What Happened
Corporate Response
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Oil spills are not a strange phenomenon, and they have occurred at high costs to the environment. The Exxon Valdez spill was a disaster that occurred in Alaska and resulted in over fifty-three million gallons of crude oil spilled into the ocean (History.com editors, 2018). It was an indication of how human activities can wreak havoc on the environment. The spill destroyed marine life; for instance, thousands of sea birds and seals died.

The Problem

The issue was the spill caused by the tanker at Prince William Sound. It resulted in immense destruction of the environment in a manner it has not recovered up to date (Lydon, 2019). Additionally, the efforts to clean up the spill were criticized by stakeholders for being ineffective. For instance, there was a high level of incompetence among Exxon’s cleanup crew. Also, the crew was often overworked and experienced high levels of fatigue.

What Happened

The incident occurred after a tanker named Exxon Valdez left Alaska for California. It was transporting fifty-three million gallons of crude oil from Prudhoe Bay. Just before midnight, the tanker hit a blight reef which was a common navigation danger (Duginski, Lin, & Fry, 2021). The impact from the collision ended up tearing the tanker. Consequently, the crude oil in the tanker was spilled into the ocean.

Corporate Response

Exxon’s corporate response to the spill involved different strategies. Firstly, Exxon instructed some of its employees to collaborate with the federal government and local communities in the cleanup efforts. Secondly, the company paid for the cost of the cleanup effort, which totaled 2 billion dollars (History.com editors, 2018). Thirdly, Exxon allocated an additional 1.8 billion dollars to aid in habitat restoration. The strategies aimed to show that Exxon was a socially responsible company that cared for the environment.

Conclusion

In summary, the Exxon Valdez spill showed how some human activities could destroy the environment. Prince William Sound was a stunning wilderness before the spill. However, the spill destroyed the wildlife in the area and made it uninhabitable. There is a need for more legislation to ensure transportation of crude oil does not destroy the environment. In addition to that, companies such as Exxon should only hire captains who have a proven record of being responsible.

References

Duginski, P., Lin, R., & Fry, H. (2021). How Orange County oil spill compares to those of Santa Barbara, Exxon Valdez, and others. Web.

History.com Editors (2018). Exxon Valdez oil spill. Web.

Lydon, T. (2019). Wounded wilderness: The Exxon Valdez oil spill 30 years later. Web.

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Impact of the Exxon Valdez Spill on the Environment

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