Exxon-Valdez Oil Spill, Reflecting 35 Years Later

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March 24, 1989, marks a dark day for the Indigenous communities of Alaska. A giant oil tanker named Exxon Valdez ran aground in the Prince William Sound, spilling 11 million gallons of crude oil into the water. Now known as one of the worst environmental disasters in US history, the leak impacted a high volume of native wildlife. It was the most devastating American oil spill until 2010, when Deepwater Horizon exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. 

Before the spill, Prince William Sound was considered a pristine ecosystem with significant biodiversity. Many sightseers flock to the region to witness the natural beauty of wildlife and sparkling glaciers. 

The Spill

On the eve of the monumental spill, Exxon Valdez departed the Valdez port with sights set on Long Beach, California. Aboard the ship was nearly 53 million gallons of crude oil. Just after midnight on March 24, the tanker struck a reef that was a known hazard to ships that navigate the arctic waters. The impact ripped open the ship’s hull, releasing 11 million gallons of the stored oil into the water. When the sun rose that day, the Coast Guard documented an oil slick 1000 feet wide and four miles long. The company also had to deliver a plan to salvage the remaining oil on Exxon Valdez that hadn’t leaked into the water. 

The contamination spread across 1300 miles of shoreline and impacted local communities and fisheries. The immediate effects resulted in the widespread death of wildlife including 250,000 seabirds, 2800 sea otters, 300 harbor seals, 250 bald eagles, billions of salmon eggs, and at least 22 orcas. 

Efforts to clean up the spill had mixed results. Combined efforts from Exxon employees, federal agencies, and local Alaskans in the months immediately following the spill helped remove oil but caused secondary harm to the ecosystem. For example, using hot and high-pressure water to wash away oil damaged the remaining plant and animal species. 

Native communities whose diets relied on the ocean suddenly had to shift their means of obtaining food. Following the spill, the consumption of processed foods increased, and with it came a rise in obesity rates. Between the late 1990s and early 2000s, obesity rates grew by 63%. Native Alaskans are 2.3 times more likely to have diabetes than their non-native counterparts. 

Some studies show an increase in stress and grief experienced by the local native population in the days and years after the spill. 

Crisis Leadership Failure

Following the spill, Lawrence Rawl, Chairman and CEO of Exxon at the time, did not travel to the disaster site. Instead, he sent lower-level executives, which left the public to assume he did not believe the issue was worth his presence. 

A report co-authored by the heads of the Department of Transportation and the EPA details that Exxon, as a company, was not prepared for a crisis of this magnitude. They say that although some spills are inevitable, preparation is the first line of defense. 

Within the three hours following the spill, local agencies reported shortages in cleanup equipment. It wasn’t until 12 hours later that the equipment arrived. Valdez, the town nearest the spill, was so remote that only 4000 people lived there at the time. Their airport didn’t have the necessary infrastructure to accommodate large planes bringing in cleanup equipment. Authorities had to enlist Cordova, the nearby town reachable only by plane or boat, to provide services.

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Anchorage had adequate infrastructure to host an increase in equipment imports but is more than nine hours away from Valdez by truck. 

Exxon assumed financial responsibility for the multibillion-dollar cleanup operation. In 1991, the company settled three lawsuits, including a criminal plea, a civil suit, and criminal restitution. Three years later, a jury ordered Exxon to pay $5 billion to 33,000 plaintiffs affected by the spill. They decreased that amount to roughly $508 million in 2008.

Prince William Sound Today

Several species have been able to bounce back in the three and half decades following the spill. Bald eagles, river and sea otters, two salmon species, and harbor seals have recovered to extents comparable to pre-spill levels. 

Some are still struggling to reestablish their numbers. Clams, mussels, and two species of seabirds that feed on small aquatic life are recovering at a slow pace. However, three species aren’t recovering at all. Herring, pigeon guillemots, and one pod of killer whales continue to show worrying that could indicate a point of no return. Technically speaking, recovery cannot be deemed complete until all species that were present pre-spill are reestablished in Prince William Sound.