On March 24th 1989, Joseph Hazelwood was the captain of the oil tanker Exxon Valdez when it ran aground on the Bligh Reef in the Prince William Sound on Alaska’s southern coast. The grounding spilled approximately 10.8 million gallons of crude oil into the Sound and along 1100 miles of the Alaskan coast.
In the ensuing trial, prosecutors were unsuccessful in proving that Hazelwood was drunk at the time of the accident. Hazelwood paid $50,000 in fines and served 1,000 hours of community service in Alaska. Thought he did not lose any of his certifications, he has not found steady work as a shipping captain since. He was featured in the 1995 film Waterworld, but that is an American disaster all on it’s own.
After undergoing repairs in San Diego, CA, the Exxon Valdez was renamed Sea River Mediterranean and returned to service. It has since been renamed, sold and removed from service. It is now operating again, under a flag of convenience from the Marshall Islands. The vessel is banned forever from Prince William Sound, and recent EU regulations prevent single-hulled vessels such as the Exxon Valdez from entering European ports. It currently serves in East Asia.
On August 27th, 2008, Exxon agreed to pay $383 million in damages to local fishermen. This does not include any of the $2.5 billion cleanup costs.
One of the worst spills in American history, Exxon Valdez doesn’t even crack the Top 30 of oil spills worldwide.
No comments:
Post a Comment