THE EXXON VALDEZ OIL SPILL
  • Home
  • Thesis
  • Context
    • Supertankers
    • Alaskan Oil Drilling
  • Contributing Factors
    • Causes
  • Collision
    • Running Aground
    • Cleanup
  • Tragedy
    • Damaged Ecosystem
    • Native Americans
    • Economic Effects
  • Triumph
    • Environmentalism
    • A Regulatory Call to Action
    • Oil Pollution Act
  • Conclusion
  • Research

Oil Pollution act

The triumph emerging from the Exxon Valdez spill was the enactment of safer oil transportation regulations. The year following the spill, Congress passed the Oil Pollution Act (OPA) of 1990, which created regulations for preventing, responding to, and paying for oil pollution. ​
Oil Pollution Act of 1990 NOAA, 2009, YouTube.
Picture
OPA 90 Impacts and Implementation, 2017, The Coast Guard Journal of Safety and Security at Sea. 
Picture
Decline in Number of Tanker Spills vs Growth in Crude, Petroleum and Gas Loaded, 2018, ITOPF. 
Picture
Big Drop Found in U.S. Oil Spills, 1992, New York Times. 
 Double Hulls 
Picture
The OPA required that tankers operating in US waters have double hulls, providing an additional barrier between external objects and the oil inside. ​

Single Hull vs. Double Hull Tankers, n.d., Maritime Insight.
 Responsibility 
The OPA made polluters liable for cleanup costs, addressing the finger-pointing that occurred in the Exxon Valdez spill. The OPA also authorized the  Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund to compensate victims up to $1 billion per spill incident should a polluter be unable to pay.
 Coast Guard 
Picture
​The OPA designated the US Coast Guard as its enforcement authority, with a mandate including pollution prevention through oversight and enforcement. This includes inspections, waivers, incentives, and sanctions.

Valdez Coast Guard, n.d., Alaska Regional Response Team.
 Operating Regulations 
The OPA established that companies operating in US waters must have a plan for preventing an oil spill. Should there be a spill, the company must deliver a thorough containment and cleanup program. ​ 

Previous
Next
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • Thesis
  • Context
    • Supertankers
    • Alaskan Oil Drilling
  • Contributing Factors
    • Causes
  • Collision
    • Running Aground
    • Cleanup
  • Tragedy
    • Damaged Ecosystem
    • Native Americans
    • Economic Effects
  • Triumph
    • Environmentalism
    • A Regulatory Call to Action
    • Oil Pollution Act
  • Conclusion
  • Research