Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Clean-Up -- Kenai Peninsula/Gulf of Alaska July 1989
The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in the Prince William Sound (AK) on March 24, 1989.
The Exxon Valdez tanker spilled an estimated 10.8 million gallons of Prudhoe Bay crude oil into the sea, and the oil eventually covered 1,300 square miles of ocean.
Because Prince William Sound contained many rocky coves where the oil collected, the decision was made to displace it with high-pressure hot water (see image above).
However, this also displaced and destroyed the shoreline's microbial populations; many of these organisms like plankton are the basis of the coastal marine food chain, and others like certain bacteria and fungi are capable of facilitating the biodegradation of oil.
However, in 1989, both scientific advice and public pressure were to clean everything.
Since then, a greater understanding of natural and facilitated remediation processes has developed.
Despite the extensive cleanup attempts in and along Prince William Sound, a NOAA study determined that as of early 2007 more than 26,000 gallons of oil remained in the contaminated shoreline's sandy soil, declining at a rate of about 4% per year.
Image above was scanned from a July 1989 film photo, with minor Photoshop effects.
IMG_0013
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Clean-Up -- Kenai Peninsula/Gulf of Alaska July 1989
The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in the Prince William Sound (AK) on March 24, 1989.
The Exxon Valdez tanker spilled an estimated 10.8 million gallons of Prudhoe Bay crude oil into the sea, and the oil eventually covered 1,300 square miles of ocean.
Because Prince William Sound contained many rocky coves where the oil collected, the decision was made to displace it with high-pressure hot water (see image above).
However, this also displaced and destroyed the shoreline's microbial populations; many of these organisms like plankton are the basis of the coastal marine food chain, and others like certain bacteria and fungi are capable of facilitating the biodegradation of oil.
However, in 1989, both scientific advice and public pressure were to clean everything.
Since then, a greater understanding of natural and facilitated remediation processes has developed.
Despite the extensive cleanup attempts in and along Prince William Sound, a NOAA study determined that as of early 2007 more than 26,000 gallons of oil remained in the contaminated shoreline's sandy soil, declining at a rate of about 4% per year.
Image above was scanned from a July 1989 film photo, with minor Photoshop effects.
IMG_0013