Exxon Disaster

On March 24, 1989 just past midnight, the tanker Exxon Valdez deviated from the shipping lane in Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska to avoid icebergs and grounded on Bligh Reef resulting in the release of 37,000 tons (10.9 million gallons) of Alaska North Slope (ANS) crude oil. This was about 20% of the 180,000 tons of crude oil the vessel was carrying when it struck the reef. The salvage effort that took place immediately after the grounding saved the vessel from sinking, thus preventing a far larger oil spill from happening.

What Happened

The spill was caused when the ship ran aground off the shore of Alaska.The 987-foot ship, second newest in Exxon Shipping Company's 20-tanker fleet, was loaded with 53,094,510 gallons (1,264,155 barrels) of North Slope crude oil bound for Long Beach, CA. Tankers carrying North Slope crude oil had safely transited Prince William Sound more than 8,700 times in the 12 years since oil began flowing through the trans-Alaska pipeline, with no major disasters and few serious incidents. This experience gave little reason to suspect impending disaster. Yet less than three hours later, the Exxon Valdez grounded at Bligh Reef, rupturing eight of its 11 cargo tanks and spewing some 10.8 million gallons of crude oil into Prince William Sound.

No human lives were lost as a direct result of the disaster, though four deaths were associated with the cleanup effort. Indirectly, however, the human and natural losses were immense -- to fisheries, subsistence livelihoods, tourism, wildlife. The most important loss for many who will never visit Prince William Sound was the aesthetic sense that something sacred in the relatively unspoiled land and waters of Alaska had been defiled.

Clean up and Recovery

The Valdez oil spill was a tragic accident that the company deeply regrets. The company took immediate responsibility for the spill, cleaned it up, and voluntarily compensated those who claimed direct damages. ExxonMobil paid $300 million immediately and voluntarily to more than 11,000 Alaskans and businesses affected by the Valdez spill. In addition, the company paid $2.2 billion on the cleanup of Prince William Sound, staying with the cleanup from 1989 to 1992, when the State of Alaska and the U.S. Coast Guard declared the cleanup complete. ExxonMobil also has paid $1 billion in settlements with the state and federal governments. That money is being used for environmental studies and conservation programs for Prince William Sound.