The very large spill size, the remote location, and the character of the oil all tested spill preparedness and response capabilities. The size of the spill and its remote location, accessible only by helicopter and boat, made government and industry efforts difficult and tested existing plans for dealing with such an event. These studies will continue far into the future also. Under normal weather conditions, the oil would have began to decompose, which would have made it easier to deal with. Perhaps the most interesting problem that cleanup workers had to deal with was with the wildlife. Executive Summary of The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill: A Report to the President, from Samuel K. Skinner, Secretary, Department of Transportation, and William K. Reilly, Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency, Prepared by the National Response Team, May 1989. It only takes seconds! However, the total cost is unknown and still growing. A spill of this size had not been anticipated. An eighteen foot wide hole was ripped into the hull, and 10.9 million gallons of crude oil spilled into the ocean. The 1988 catch yielded twelve point three million dollars. This was a result of the original conflicts that took place between corporations the state government and the National government. The oil that they scooped out was then deposited at special collection sites. The use of dispersants proved to be controversial. This resulted in confusion and delayed the cleanup. This technique involved the use of Inopol EAP22. The bottom was ripped open, and 10.9 million gallons of North Slope Crude Oil spilled into the frozen Alaskan waters at a rate of two hundred thousand gallons per minute. One hundred thousand birds are believed to been killed, including more than one hundred fifty bald eagles. Continued bad weather slowed down the recovery efforts. The cleanup process was probably the most expensive oil spill cleanup in history. Legislation on liability and compensation is needed. We therefore must balance environmental risks with the nation's energy requirements. The natural factors also made the cleanup a difficult process. Another problem with the cold weather was that it prevented the oil from breaking down. There were also problems with high winds, which were often in excess in of forty knots. Transferring oil from temporary storage vessels into more permanent containers was also difficult because of the oil's weight and thickness. The spill was the largest in U.S. history and tested the abilities of local, national, and industrial organizations to prepare for, and respond to, a disaster of such magnitude. They battled with the oil in order to protect their industry. An eighteen foot wide hole was ripped into the hull, and 10.9 million gallons of crude oil spilled into the ocean. In 1990, when herring fishing resumed, it returned to normal levels. However, skimmers were not readily available during the first 24 hours following the spill. On March 24, 1989, shortly after midnight, the oil tanker Exxon Valdez struck Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska, spilling more than 11 million gallons of crude oil. Local fisherman charged up to eight thousand a day for the usage of their boats. Exxon had approximately eleven thousand men and women on its payroll, including temporary workers. This water then flows through a perforated hose on high ground that runs parallel to the water front. The damage to the fishing industry was not nearly as bad as had been anticipated. Containment booms were also used to “corral” the oil. This combined with their hourly wages made cleaning up after the oil spill more profitable then fishing on a daily basis for many people. The sea otters were killed by a variety of conditions including hypothermia. An official website of the United States government. On March 24, 1989, in Prince William Sound Alaska, the Exxon Valdez was moving South West after leaving Port Valdez. One worker exclaimed, “Everything from paper towels to kitchen utensils are being used.”. United States Environmental Protection Agency. These plans outlined how an oil spill would be handled, including provisions for maintaining equipment such as containment booms and “skimmer boats.” The plans also called for a response team to be on twenty-four hour notice. Oil is a vital resource that is inherently dangerous to use and transport. Let us do your homework! Contingency planning in the future needs to incorporate realistic worst-case scenarios and to include adequate equipment and personnel to handle major spills. The booms would be fastened behind the boats and then dragged into place. All of these factors combined to make the cleanup more difficult then anticipated. Precious hours were also wasted as Corporations, the Alaskan State Government, and the National government argued over who should take control of the situation. Later studies showed the side effects to be negligible. Moreover, to the assure expeditious and well-coordinated response actions, it is critical that top officials--local, state, and federal--fully understand and be prepared to implement the contingency plans that are in place. Alyeska opened an emergency communications center in Valdez shortly after the spill was reported and set up a second operations center in Anchorage, Alaska. The cleanup effort after the Exxon Valdez spill was very intense. By noon on Friday, March 25, the Alaska Regional Response Team was brought together by teleconference, and the National Response Team was activated soon thereafter. The spill was the largest in U.S. history and tested the abilities of local, national, and industrial organizations to prepare for, and respond to, a disaster of such magnitude.
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