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exxon valdez
What About the Exxon Valdez?
Perhaps one of the most memborable oil spills in history, the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989 was certainly large - with about 257,000 barrels of crude lost - but it is only a fraction of the size, by volume, of the biggest spills in history. Despite the relatively small volume compared with the biggest oil spills, the Valdez disaster seriously affected the area's ecology.
The spill covered about 1,300 square miles after the Valdez struck a reef and began leaking oil into Prince William Sound, an extremely remote area that is generally only accessible by helicopter or seaplane.
The cleanup effort was also hampered by the area's calm waters, which couldn't mix the oil dispersant chemicals to break down the oil. Other clean-up efforts had unintended negative effects on the region, such as the destruction of microorganisms. About 26,000 gallons are estimated to remain on the Alaskan shores as a result of the Valdez disaster.
There was also the loss of animal and marine life in the area. It is estimated that more than 250,000 seabirds, as well as thousands of other animals died as a result of the spill.
Image belongs to www.cnbc.com
exxon valdez
What About the Exxon Valdez?
Perhaps one of the most memborable oil spills in history, the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989 was certainly large - with about 257,000 barrels of crude lost - but it is only a fraction of the size, by volume, of the biggest spills in history. Despite the relatively small volume compared with the biggest oil spills, the Valdez disaster seriously affected the area's ecology.
The spill covered about 1,300 square miles after the Valdez struck a reef and began leaking oil into Prince William Sound, an extremely remote area that is generally only accessible by helicopter or seaplane.
The cleanup effort was also hampered by the area's calm waters, which couldn't mix the oil dispersant chemicals to break down the oil. Other clean-up efforts had unintended negative effects on the region, such as the destruction of microorganisms. About 26,000 gallons are estimated to remain on the Alaskan shores as a result of the Valdez disaster.
There was also the loss of animal and marine life in the area. It is estimated that more than 250,000 seabirds, as well as thousands of other animals died as a result of the spill.
Image belongs to www.cnbc.com