the grounding of exxon valdez
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The Grounding of
Exxon ValdezMarch 24, 1989March 24, 1989
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Key Words
Catastrophic damage / Fatigue / Impairment /
Alcoholism / Alcohol-related traffic violations /
Rehabilitation treatment programme / Eyewitness /
Toxicological analysis of blood / Blood alcohol
concentration (BAC) / Speech analysis / Radio
transmissions / Misarticulation of sounds
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The Grounding
On March 24, 1989, the U.S. tanker Exxon Valdez,
loaded with about 1,263,000 barrels of crude oil,
grounded on Bligh Reef near Valdez, Alaska. At the
time of the grounding, the vessel was under the
navigational control of the Third Mate. There were
no injuries, but about 258,000 barrels of cargo were
spilled when eight cargo tanks ruptured.
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This spill has impacted Alaskas environment and
community aspects such as tourism in many ways,
and will for many years to come. The Exxon Valdez
accident is widely considered the number one spill
worldwide in terms of damage to the environment.
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The timing of the spill, the remote and spectacular
location, the thousands of miles of rugged and wild
shoreline, and the abundance of wildlife in the region
combined to make it an environmental disaster well
beyond the scope of other spills.
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No human lives were lost as a direct result of the
disaster, but there were a few deaths associated
with the cleanup. Indirectly, however, the human and
natural losses were great. Fisheries, subsistence
livelihoods, tourism, and wildlife were, and still are,
affected greatly because of this accident.
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The Causes of the Accident
The investigation indicated that the accident was
caused by three factors:
Fatigue resulting from excessive workload.
Alcoholism.
Failure to provide a proper navigation watch.
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Fatigue
Fatigue is associated with physical and/or mental
weakness. Fatigue is considered a symptom, as
opposed to a medical sign, because it is reported
by the patient instead of being observed by others.
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Alcoholism
Getting in the habit of consuming too much alcohol
results in alcoholism. Persons who suffer from
alcoholism become alcohol addicts. Therefore,
alcoholism is medically defined as a disabling
addictive disorder requiring rehabilitation treatment
programmes because alcohol damages almost
every organ in the body, including the brain.
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Improper Navigation Watch
The Master failed to provide a proper navigation
watch because of impairment from alcohol. At the
time of the grounding, the vessel was under the
navigational control of the Third Mate who failed to
properly manoeuvre the vessel because of fatigue
and excessive workload.
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The Losses Resulting from the Grounding
The cost of the lost cargo of crude oil.
The cost of tanker repair.
The cost of cleanup operations.
The cost of rehabilitation programmes.
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Oiled sea otter on shore
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Bald eagle in rehabilitation
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Some of the techniques used in attempt to clean the
spilled oil were hot water treatments, high-pressure
cold water treatments, and mechanical cleanup. Hot
water treatmentwas popular until it was determined
that the treatment could be causing more damage
than the oil. Small organisms were being cooked by
the hot water.
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Workers using high-
pressure, hot-water
washing to clean the oiled
shoreline.
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International Response to Exxon Valdez
Grounding
One of the most effective international treaties on
marine pollution is the International Convention for
the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, 1978
(referred to as MARPOL 73/78). This treaty attempts
to reduce pollution from ships, including oil,
chemicals, and plastics.
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Also as a response to the Exxon Valdez spill in
1989, the International Convention on Oil Pollution
Preparedness, Response, and Cooperation was
signed. This treaty sets requirements for oil spill
emergency plans and mechanisms for cooperation
between transboundary spills, and an annex on
hazardous substances also includes protocols for
handling these types of materials.
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Subsurface oil is of greater concern than
surface oil. Subsurface oil can remain dormant
for many years before being dispersed and is
more liquid, still toxic, and may become
biologically available.
Subsurface Oil and Surface Oil