Cause And Effect Of The Spill - 1315 Words

On the Easter Sunday of March 24, 1989 an oil tanker destined for Long Beach, California was stopped short of its destination when it struck the Prince William Sound’s Bligh Reef (PWS). In charge of the ship was Captain Joseph Jeffrey Hazelwood. It was reported that Captain Hazelwood was not at the bridge of the ship during the incident. Furthermore he was accused of alcohol intoxication that might have contributed to the event. This event caused a catastrophic oil spill that resulted in 11 million gallons of crude oil spreading throughout the ocean. At that time, it was considered the largest oil that had ever happened in the United States, hence, it was expected to have devastating effects on the ecology and the different species living†¦show more content†¦In charge of the ship was Captain Joseph Hazelwood. At the time of the time incident, Hazelwood was reported to be in his stateroom while leaving Third Mate Gregory Cousins in charge. This led to the failure of t he ship to return to the shipping lanes and eventually thrashing through the Bligh Reef. Although Captain Hazelwood was accused and charged of alcohol intoxication while on duty, Captain Hazelwood was acquitted of that charge, instead the state charged him with a misdemeanor negligence. This misdemeanor gave Hazelwood a $50,000 fine and 1000 hour of community service. Nearly twenty seven years ago is when the event took place and yet there are still thousands of gallons of oil that pollute the beaches near Prince William Sound. The oil found in the beach still has it adverse effects on the ecosystem near the shore. Although, observations have led for most to believe that natural removal of the oil will take place overtime, a decline in the rate of oil removal have proved them otherwise. From 1989 to 1992, the annual rate for natural oil removal was at 80%, the following years of 1989 to 2001 took a staggering decline at a rate of 22%. After 2001, a mere 4% rate was all that was left to defend the oiled shore of Prince William Sound. Efforts to clean the oil proved to be difficult due to its remote location and reachable only by air and sea