Exxon Valdez

When the 987 foot Exxon Valdez ran aground at Blight Reef during the first minutes of March 24, 1989, 8 of its 10 cargo tanks ruptured; as a consequence, nearly 11 million gallons of crude oil spilled into Prince William Sound, contaminating more than 1,000 miles of seashore and defiling a once pristine coastal ecosystem (Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council (EVOSTC)). Many issues would of course arise, implicating the Exxon Corporation in an environmental scandal that has reverberated for fifteen years. The liability issue and the hydrographic survey issue brought into relief by the Exxon Valdez debacle are two facets of this event worth exploring.

As a matter of liability, few doubted that at root, Exxon was responsible for this disaster. In the aftermath, it was confirmed that ship's captain, Joseph Hazelwood, had consumed several alcoholic beverages with other ship officers in a Valdez bar, and that the odor of alcohol was later discernable on his breath. Further, the Exxon Valdez ignored a litany of safety practices that had been in place for over a decade. At varying times throughout the evening of March 23, too few officers were stationed on the bridge, traffic separation schemes were ignored, false reports concerning nautical speed were issued, traffic lanes were crossed, and crew fatigue was overlooked. As a matter of liability, there was little doubt that Exxon would ultimately be found responsible (EVOSTC).

The actual settlement among the State of A

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