Oil Pollution act
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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.
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Oil Pollution Act of 1990 NOAA, 2009, YouTube.
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OPA 90 Impacts and Implementation, 2017, The Coast Guard Journal of Safety and Security at Sea.
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Decline in Number of Tanker Spills vs Growth in Crude, Petroleum and Gas Loaded, 2018, ITOPF.
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Big Drop Found in U.S. Oil Spills, 1992, New York Times.
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Double Hulls
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.
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Coast Guard
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.
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