Who was at fault for the Exxon Valdez oil spill?
Drinking by the ship’s captain, a fatigued and overworked crew and inadequate traffic control by the Coast Guard all contributed to the enormous oil spill by the Exxon Valdez off the Alaskan coast last year, the National Transportation Safety Board ruled today.
Why did the supertanker Exxon Valdez run aground in Port William Sound in 1989?
On the evening of March 23, 1989, Exxon Valdez left the port of Valdez, Alaska, bound for Long Beach, California, with 53 million gallons of Prudhoe Bay crude oil onboard. The impact of the collision tore open the ship’s hull, causing some 11 million gallons of crude oil to spill into the water.
Where did the company fail to maintain safety in the Exxon Valdez tanker?
Exxon Shipping Company failed to properly maintain the Raytheon Collision Avoidance System (RAYCAS) radar, which, if functional, would have indicated to the third mate an impending collision with the Bligh Reef by detecting the “radar reflector,” placed on the next rock inland from Bligh Reef for the purpose of keeping …
What happened to Captain of Exxon Valdez?
Joseph Jeffrey Hazelwood (born September 24, 1946) is an American sailor. He was the captain of Exxon Valdez during her 1989 oil spill. Hazelwood was convicted of a lesser charge, negligent discharge of oil (a misdemeanor), fined $50,000, and sentenced to 1,000 hours of community service.
What oil spill happened in Alaska?
Exxon Valdez
On March 24, 1989 the oil tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince William Sound, Alaska, spilling 11 million gallons of oil. The ecologically sensitive location, season of the year, and large scale of this spill resulted in one of the largest environmental disasters in U.S. history.
Why was the captain of the Exxon Valdez fired?
They are large ships that require skill to operate and navigate. Accidents can happen for any number of reasons, but often negligence plays a role. Perhaps most famously, the captain of the Exxon Valdez, which hit a reef in the 1980s and spilled an unprecedented amount of oil, was fired for drinking on the job.
What kind of accidents happen on tanker ships?
Wildlife is killed and people who rely on fishing in those areas are also impacted. Other kinds of accidents that can occur on tanker ships include equipment failures or failing engines, failed electrical and short circuits, leaks of chemicals from storage, and structural failures aboard the vessel.
When did the tanker collide with the Bay Bridge?
In San Francisco in 2013, the pilot of a tanker caused it to collide with the Bay Bridge, although no oil was spilled into the Bay. The pilot is someone who is hired locally to bring large ships into port.