Exxon Valdez Oil Spill: An Ethical And Chemical Disaster

The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill: An Ethical and Chemical Disaster
Written by Jake Johnson, Period 6

One of the most recognized disasters regarding hazardous chemicals is the wreck of the infamous Exxon Valdez. After the oil tanker ran aground on Bligh Reef in the spring of 1989, millions of liters of crude oil leaked into the Prince William Sound, off the coast of Northern Alaska causing millions of the native wildlife to die. Thankfully, it didn’t seep into the open ocean but the oil harmed not only the local Alaskan wildlife it also harmed the reputation and honesty of big oil corporations such as the Exxon Shipping Company, the livelihoods of thousands of the local fishermen and the water quality of the Prince William Sound. The Exxon Valdez

Many concerned individuals are still trying to remove the remaining crude oil from Alaska. According to the Exxon Valdez spill profile compiled by the United States’ Environmental Protection Agency, or the EPA, “three methods were tried in the effort to clean up the spill including; onsite burning of the oil, mechanical cleanup and chemical dispersants” (EPA, 2016). The NOAA’s Chronic Study of how oil spills at sea get cleaned up shows that skimming and the resulting on site burning of the oil has proven to be the most effective out of the solutions that the NOAA has attempted to conduct. The NOAA says that “skimmers work by attracting oil to their surfaces before transferring it to a nearby collection tank. A skimmer has to come in direct contact with the oil in order to remove it from the surface, so skimming sometimes isn’t the most effective solution; and in the off chance that skimming doesn’t work, two boats will tow a fire-retardant collection boom to concentrate enough oil to burn and therefore removing it” (NOAA, 2015 para. 7). Additionally, the study showed that chemical dispersants have also been added to the water and have also proven to be extremely effective due to the rapid Solubility rate. The NOAA continues, saying that “releasing chemical dispersants on the spill breaks down the oil, and allows it to dissolve more easily into the water. Smaller, more broken down, groups of oil become easier for microbes to eat and break them down

Rather, it was simply a diversion of the course in attempt to avoid collisions with possible hazards such as icebergs. The EVOSTC continues, saying that “The Exxon Valdez left from the Trans Alaska Pipeline on the evening of March 23, 1989. William Murphy, a ship's pilot, was in control of the ship and with him was the captain, Joe Hazelwood. Helmsman Harry Claar was steering. After passing through Valdez Narrows, Murphy was relieved and Captain Hazelwood took over for him. Not long after departure, he encountered icebergs in the shipping lanes and Hazelwood ordered Claar to move out of the shipping lanes to avoid the icebergs. He then left command of the ship to Third Mate Gregory Cousins with instruction to return to the shipping lanes once the tanker had cleared the icebergs. Soon after, Claar was replaced by Helmsman Robert Kagan. For unclear reasons, Cousins and Kagan failed to return to the shipping lanes and the ship ran aground on Bligh Reef on the morning of March 24, 1989” (EVOSTC, 2016, para. 3). But even if the crew diverted their course out of honorable intentions, the captain was still supposedly drunk when he gave the order and the navigators were inexperienced to maneuver around icebergs and beyond the shipping lanes. It was with this action, of a drunk captain and inexperienced and fatigued crew, and an unethical decision that