...Exxon Valdez Oil Spill of 1989 Isaac Mitchell Maine Maritime Academy The Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989 occurred in Prince William Sound off the coast of southwestern Alaska. The date when the oil tanker ran aground was March 24th, 1989. It struck Bligh Reef at about 12:04 a.m. There have been various estimates of how much oil spilled into the ocean. A total of 11 million US gallons was a commonly accepted estimate of the spill’s volume, used by the State of Alaska’s Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and environmental groups such as Greenpeace and the Sierra Club ("Questions and answers," 1990). Other groups, such as Defenders of Wildlife, question the official estimates, maintaining that the volume of the spill went underreported (DeVries, Luts, 2004). Alternative calculations, based on an assumption that the seawater rather than oil drained from the damaged tanks, estimate the total to have been 25 to 32 million US gallons (Bluemink, 2010). Because of the spill many practices were going to change in the shipping industry. The Exxon Valdez oil spill drastically changed the United States’ shipping regulations, policies, and documentation. The Exxon Valdez damaged eight of its eleven tanks on board, spilling 11 million gallons of its 53 million gallon cargo of oil. Those 11 million gallons would spread and ultimately impact over 1,100 miles of non-continuous coastline in Alaska, making the Exxon Valdez oil spill the...
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...The Exxon Valdez was an oil tanker, thought to be carrying 200 million litres (53 million gallons) of crude oil, en route to Long Beach, California when it ran aground on the Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska on the 24th March 1989 in turn causing the ship to spill 43 million litres (11 million gallons) of its crude oil into the sea. The oil, originally extracted at the Prudhoe Bay oil field, eventually covered 1,300 miles of coastline and 11,000 square miles of ocean. The captain of the ship, Joseph Hazelwood, was said to be drinking heavily on the night that the ship struck the reef. He gave orders to the pilot, Harry Claar, to take the Exxon Valdez out of the shipping lanes to avoid far reaching ice. After doing this however, Hazelwood handed the controls of the ship to the inexperienced and fatigued Third Mate Gregory Cousins, giving him instructions to turn the ship back into the shipping lanes when the tanker reached a certain point, unbeknown to him that the ship was left in autopilot. At that time, the pilot was replaced by Helmsman Robert Kagan and Captain Hazelwood also returned to his quarters to rest. The Third Mate and the Helmsman were unable to make the manoeuvre to return into the shipping lanes as the ship was still on auto pilot, and therefore the tanker continued until it had hit the reef. During the time of accident, Exxon Valdez was carrying 200 million litres of crude oil, out of which it spilled around 40 million litres into the sea. As a result...
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...1989: Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Abstract: A tanker filled to capacity with crude oil ran aground and ruptured yesterday 25 miles from the southern end of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, spewing her cargo into water rich in marine life. (Shabecoff, 1989) THE BACK STORY THE TRANS-ALASKA PIPELINE SYSTEM After oil was discovered in Prudhoe Bay on the northern coast of Alaska in 1968, the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company was formed by the owner companies: BP Exploration, ARCO, Exxon, Mobil, Amerada Hess, Phillips, and Union. Alyeska determined that the most economic method of transporting oil from Prudhoe Bay to the U.S. west coast was oil transport through a pipeline from the bay to Valdez, followed by oil tanker transport south. President Richard Nixon signed the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act on November 16, 1973. The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) consists of an extensive 800 mile pipeline (Figure 6.1), 11 pump stations, and an oil terminal at Valdez; it cost more than $8 billion to build (USDIBLM, 2005). 75 OIL SPILL PREPAREDNESS At the time of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, six contingency plans were in place to coordinate oil spill response efforts. On the national level, the National Response Team (NRT) provided national support for response actions related to oil discharges and hazardous substance releases. NRT supported emergency responders at all levels by means of technical expertise and equipment, assisted in the development of training, coordinated responses...
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...Information Exxon Valdez March 24, 1989, the tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground on the Bligh Reefs in Prince William Sound, Alaska spilling 10.8 million gallons or 20% of the ship’s cargo. It was the 34th largest oil in the world at the time and the largest in U.S.A. The oil spill killed 500,000 birds over 90 species more than 4000 sea otters, 14 killer whales and destroyed tourism and the fish industry of the area. It was said on reports that the probable reason on why the tanker has gone aground was because of the captain and its crew being drunk. The "Exxon Valdez" entered the language as a shortcut for corporate arrogance and damage because of its lack of action as soon as possible by the owners of the company when the oil spill happened. 2/9 Johnson & Johnson: Tylenol Tylenol an over-the-counter product in the U.S. with over hundred million users was the most successful in selling painkillers. Tylenol was the absolute leader in the painkiller field accounting for a 37 percent market share, outselling the next four leading painkillers combined, including Anacin, Bayer, Bufferin, and Excedrin. Unfortunately in 1982 a total of seven deaths occurred in Chicago resulting to a recall of all Tylenol bottles all over the U.S. which led to a drop in sales of $1.2B but has recovered because of its great strategies by using public relations and media as a tool to once again gain the trust of its consumers. 3/9 II. Situational Analysis Exxon Valdez I’ll...
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...American History have we seen the catastrophe that we've seen this year by the BP Oil Spill. The Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico is beyond heart breaking. The 1989, Exxon Valdez Oil Spill has been considered the most devastating, human-caused, environmental disaster ever to occur in history, especially towards the Nigerians, since they are still being affected by it. But, even though the Exxon Valdez happened years ago and Nigerians are still in tight situations due to the spill, I believe the BP Oil Spill is just a beginning of a major political conundrum, with lasting consequences similar to what the Nigerians people are experiencing. There are a lot of controversy regarding, who is going to take responsibility for the cleanup for both BP and the Valdez Oil Spill. Some people blame President Obama and some blame Bp for its spill. Blaming the company that is actually in charge of the operation does seem like a logical first step, not to mention, there were many safety warning signs that they ignored to give way to greed. But bear in mind, blaming a president for a disaster caused by a corporation is ridiculous in my opinion. If people are blaming Obama, I think it should be because he didn’t make and veto certain laws and kept an eye on certain factories, if he did, then probably the oil spill would have never happened in the first place. We cannot blame the Spill on Obama completely, but we can blame him for not watching out for problems...
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...A Bad Idea Crude oil is one of the three kinds of fossil fuel (coal, crude oil, and natural gas) that are widely used by humanity. It plays a very important role in our world, as it is one of our primary energy sources. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the United States is the biggest oil consumption country in the world, which consumes 19.5 million barrels of oil per day (EIA, “Country Energy Profiles: Oil Consumption”). Crude oil can not only be found on the continent, but also in the ocean. The activity that people discover and extract oil from the ocean is called offshore drilling. Offshore drilling has a long history in the United States. The first offshore well was drilled in 1896, in California (“History of Offshore Oil” 163). Oil soon became the primary energy source of the United States by 1910, as the internal combustion engine, which requires gasoline to power, was invented (“History of Offshore Oil” 163). In the next few decades, offshore drilling industry in the U.S. was going up quickly (“History of Offshore Oil” 163-64). Along with the development of the industry, the government regulation came up. To pursue offshore drilling in the U.S. OCS (Outer Continental Shelf) lands, oil companies need to acquire the lease from the U.S. federal government (“History of Offshore Oil” 164). The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) passed in 1953 ensured federal government’s control of the OCS (“History of Offshore Oil” 164). However, the...
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...Johnson & Exxon Lucille Marjorie C. Curitana BMC I-2 Prof. Hero Hernandez Background Information Oriental Nicety, formerly Exxon Valdez ("valdez" pronounced val-deez), Exxon Mediterranean, SeaRiver Mediterranean, S/R Mediterranean, Mediterranean, and Dong Fang Ocean is an oil tanker that gained notoriety after running aground in Prince William Soundspilling hundreds of thousands of barrels of crude oil in Alaska. On March 24, 1989, while owned by the former Exxon Shipping Company, and captained by Joseph Hazelwood bound for Long Beach, California, the vessel ran aground on the Bligh Reef resulting in the second largest oil spill in United States history. The size of the spill is estimated at 40,900 to 120,000 m3 (10,800,000 to 32,000,000 US gal), or 257,000 to 750,000 barrels. In 1989, Exxon Valdez oil spill was listed as the 54th largest spill in history. The tanker is 301 meters long, 50 meters wide, 26 meters depth (987 ft, 166 ft, 88 ft), weighing 30,000 tons empty and powered by a23.60 MW (31,650 shp) diesel engine. The ship can transport up to 235,000 m³ (1.48 million barrels / 200,000 t) at a sustained speed of30 km/h (16.25 knots). Its hull design is of the single-hull type. It was built by National Steel and Shipbuilding Company in San Diego, California. A relatively new tanker at the time of the spill, she was delivered to Exxon in December 1986. An oil tanker from Exxon which named Exxon Valdez happened oil spill...
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...Rawl, chairman and chief executive of the Exxon Corpoation was in his kitchen sipping coffee when the phone rang and received the news regarding the spilling of crude oil into the frigid waters of Prince William Sound, just outside the harbor of Valdez, Alaska. What was about to happen was the worst environmental disaster in the history of the United States. These were the documented facts that media had portrayed across the United States and to the world: Exxon Valdez, a 978-foot tanker piloted by a captain whom later revealed to be drank, ran aground on a reef 25 miles southwest of the port of Valdez. The results caused a spill of 250,000 barrels, the largest spill ever in North America. The devastating results affects, 1,300 square miles of water, damaging some 600 miles of coastline and murdering as many as 4,000 Alaskan sea otters. The disaster also enshrined the name of Exxon in the all-time Public Relations Hall of Shame. (Seitel, 2000). According to the book, Exxon’s dilemma broke down into five categories. First was the hesitation of Mr. Rawl if he is going directly and personally to Alaska. In an interview Mr. Rawl has said, “We had concluded that there was simply too much for me to coordinate from New York. It wouldn’t have made any difference if I showed up and made a speech in the town forum. I wasn’t going to spend the summer there; I had other things to do”. Secondly, Exxon failed to establish media control. Exxon, wanted to take charge of the news flow and...
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...Business Ethics Risk The demand for oil depletes the world’s oil reserves at an alarming rate. Drilling operations are accused of contributing to water pollution and the release of air contaminants into the atmosphere. These greenhouse gases in return contribute to the warming of the earth’s atmosphere, leading to greater risk of polar ice cap melting, flooding and other environment damages. Situation An oil tanker from Exxon which named Exxon Valdez happened oil spill crisis on Friday, March 24, 1989. (Lilly, 2011) It was categorised into the top five largest companies in the US with the leading CEO Lawrence G. Rawl. One the day of the spill, the oil tanker hit a reef and it leaked massive crude oil in the Prince willam sound which was...
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...The Long- Term Effects of oil on ecosystems: A comparison of the Exxon Valdez and the BP oil spill The Exxon Valdez was a single hull, 987-foot super tanker built by the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, out of San Diego, California. The Exxon Corporation commissioned this ship into service on December 11, 1986. After the March of 1989 collision with Bligh Reef, the vessel was towed to the shipyard in San Diego and repaired in June of 1989, more than 1,600 tons of steel needed replacing, and the cost of this repair was over $30 million dollars. The Valdez is back in use owned and operated by the Hong Kong Bloom Shipping LTD., renamed the Dong Fang Ocean, and registered out of Panama. At 12:04 A.M. on March 24, 1989, the Exxon Valdez struck Bligh Reef, Captain Joseph Hazelwood was below decks and intoxicated, the vessel was under the control of the third mate, Gregory Cousins. It was later found that in addition to the intoxicated captain, the third mate, Gregory Cousins, did not have the proper endorsement on his coast guard license to operate a ship in the pristine waters of Prince William Sound, and on top of this Exxon failed to repair the damaged radar that could have prevented the accidental grounding of the ship. At the time of impact, the Valdez was carrying 55 million gallons of crude oil and 11 million gallons of crude was spilt into one of the most delicate, and bountiful marine ecosystems on earth, Prince William Sound. This number of 11 million...
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...Management Planning MGT 330r6 May 2011 Management Planning Introduction Rockefeller and his associates founded Standard Oil Company in Ohio in the 1850’s. They purchased a three-quarter interest in Vacuum Oil Company, this was purchased in 1879. In 1966 Standard Oil changes its name to Mobil after Standard Oil celebrates 100 years being in business. In 1972 Jersey Standard changes its name to Exxon Corporation with the approval from Jersey Standard shareholders during a special meeting. In 1997 Mobil introduces speedpass an electronic system which activates the pumps and charges credit cards. In November 1999 Exxon and Mobil join to form Exxon Mobil Corporation. This merger is to enhance their ability to be more effective global competitors. Ethic, Legal and Social Responsibility The ethical responsibility at Exxon Mobil is to comply with all governmental laws, rules and regulations. The corporation has chosen to have the highest integrity. Exxon Mobil expects compliance with its standard of integrity throughout the corporation and they will not tolerate any employees who achieve results cost in violation of law or who deal unconscientiously. Exxon Mobil Corporation has been conducting business in a manner that would be compatible for our environment and economic needs, which they operate to protect the communities in the safety, security, and health. The commitment they have for the community has been documented in the safety, security, health, environmental and...
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...Introduction March 24, 1989 a mase oil spill occurred in Alaska, Prince William Sound, an oil tanker Exxon Valdez had ran into a reef. The spill was approximately 11 million gallons into the sea, affecting the wildlife, the environment, and the region’s economy. It was a fact that Alaska could not hold a spill over 8.4 million gallons and could result in long-term consequeses. Exxon, along with other oil industries knew that navigating a large supertanker through the waters of Prince William Sound would be extremely complicated. Even with this kind of knowledge, Exxon still decided to navigate through there. 1. Problem In every situation there is a cause and effect. Here, Exxon had knowledge that traveling through Prince William Sound would be very difficult. Since they were aware of that, I would propose that they could of taken a different route. Not sure where there start and end locations were. If they had to go through Prince William Sound, could there have been an alternate of dividing the oil carried. Exxon only had one big tanker, could they have not had two or three smaller tankers, taking this route on different trips. Secondly, the prior history with the captain’s alcoholism is a problem. The lack of judgment on Exxon’s behalf because they knew Captain Joseph Hazelwood had a drinking problem and kept him employed. The captain had supposedly been rehabilitated, but Exxon knew better before March 24, 1989. Hazelwood. Had sought treatment for alcohol abuse...
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...CRISIS COMMUNICATION The BP Oil Spill Abstract: The subject of my critique is regarding the analysis of British Petroleum's public relations strategy and its portrayal in the media during the 'Deepwater Horizon' oil spill that occurred on April 20, 2010. The author is anonymous and has laid out the importance of good communication during major crises. He gives examples of the Johnson & Johnson Tylenol product tampering and the Exxon Valdez oil spill and then compares them with the BP Oil Spill. He points out well the inadequacies of the BP's public relations team and how scholars address the importance of understanding media relations, framing and the public emotional response. The author has presented many examples of scholars' thoughts but according to me falls short of discussions and the perception of the public, their emotions and the manner in which they (the public ) could be affected during such huge crises and thus the importance of public relationsof organizations from the normal public perspective. The public who invests in such organizations shouldn't feel that they are being fooled/cheated. Further during his research the author has presented the importance of pre-crisis phase and how to analyze each crisis situation. The Critique: In the point of 'Public perception, framing and media relations' the author focuses on audience-centered perspective in crisis situations. Here I personally acknowledge the point made by Jim and Pang which explains that understanding...
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...bargains; and if so, the effects it may have on the organization. ExxonMobil was formed in 1999 by a merger between Exxon and Mobil. It is a major United States producer of domestic oil production and is also involved in domestic petrochemicals and chemicals operations. They are strong competitors in the oil and gas industry with such rivals as Royal Dutch Shell and BP America. Over the years they have stayed committed to their explorations and development in the industry. In 2011 they achieved strong earnings and generated huge returns for their shareholders. According to the company, “ExxonMobil’s results for the third quarter of 2011 reflected a continued commitment to operational integrity, disciplined investing and superior project execution.” (Business Monitor International, 2012) ExxonMobil faces legal issues that include environmental, discrimination, and human rights issues. Some of the environmental issues include the possibility of oil spills and allowing pollutants to escape into the air, which can affect global warming. Because of these issues ExxonMobil has been criticized by a well-known environmental lobby group called Greenpeace. According to the EPA, “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. The spill was the largest in U.S. history and tested the abilities of local, national, and industrial organizations to prepare...
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...FEATURE pubs.acs.org/est Oil Biodegradation and Bioremediation: A Tale of the Two Worst Spills in U.S. History Ronald M. Atlas* University of Louisville, Louisville Kentucky 40292, United States Terry C. Hazen Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States ABSTRACT: The devastating environmental impacts of the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989 and its media notoriety made it a frequent comparison to the BP Deepwater Horizon spill in the popular press in 2010, even though the nature of the two spills and the environments impacted were vastly di erent. Fortunately, unlike higher organisms that are adversely impacted by oil spills, microorganisms are able to consume petroleum hydrocarbons. These oil degrading indigenous microorganisms played a signi cant role in reducing the overall environmental impact of both the Exxon Valdez and BP Deepwater Horizon oil spills. ’ INTRODUCTION TO BIODEGRADATION OF PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS Petroleum hydrocarbons in crude oils, such as those released into marine ecosystems by the Exxon Valdez and BP Deepwater Horizon spills, are natural products derived from aquatic algae laid down between 180 and 85 million years ago. Crude oils, composed mostly of diverse aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, regularly escape into the environment from underground reservoirs. Because petroleum hydrocarbons occur naturally in all marine environments, there has been time for numerous diverse microorganisms to evolve the capability...
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