On 24 March 1989, the American oil tanker, the Exxon Valdez, which had just loaded 180,000 tons of crude oil at Valdez, ran aground on Bligh Reef, on the Alaskan coast located 10 meters deep in Prince William Strait. The impact damaged 11 of the 18 tanks of the boat. Therefore 38,500 tons of crude oil created a huge oil slick. More than 2000 km of coasts were polluted and a lot of birds and sea mammals were killed. Exxon Oil Company chartered this boat to transport oil from Alaska.
This is the largest oil spill the USA has ever experienced. The Exxon Valdez has been categorized as the country's worst environmental disaster by the environmental associations and funds.
In 1989, 11 000 people were employed by Exxon to clean up the damage as quickly and efficiently as possible. There were also thousands of volunteers who helped to clean up. Nevertheless, we can say that Exxon was not ready to treat such an oil slick although there was a real risk as they are working in the oil transportation industry. The clean-up process went on for 2 years and had an important cost for Exxon.
When asked about the response to this incident, Skinner, the American Secretary of Transportation, said that on a scale from 1 to 10, response was zero. The government and the company were not enough competent and prepared to manage this kind of disaster. Lee R. Raymond, the Exxon chairman declared: "We thought the first task should be to assist our operating people to get the incident under control.” This reaction shows Exxon tried to act and take its responsibility. It was an announcement to reassure the citizens.
A few years after the oil slick happened, we can observe a change in the laws and the rules: indeed, the disaster inspired the "double hull" amendment of 6 March 1992.
It was the first time American people seemed to be really concerned by an environmental disaster. It was an event which directly affected the American territory (contrary to the Chernobyl disaster or the Amoco Cadiz spill). This is one of the reasons that can explain the public interest and mobilization. The incident galvanized public attention and let the interest in environmental groups increase. Frank Laroos, the Exxon shipping department chairman, thought and said that the public's reaction is totally irrational. It was a communication mistake which was opposed to the safe announcement of the Exxon chairman.
The environmental associations were the main beneficiaries of enormous new public concern and sense of the need for action. A disaster is needed to attract the attention of people on environmental problems. After the accident, the Exxon Valdez was repaired and renamed the Sea River Mediterranean and is currently working outside of the US waters.
Laisser un commentaire