the command of a supertanker in the first place?
And what of the emergency response measures taken, or not taken? When Congress approved the Alaska Pipeline and the Valdez oil terminal, it was on the understanding that the consortium of oil companies which operated the facility would draw up an emergency response plan, and would maintain the appropriate facilities and personnel on site to put it into action if required. In the event, however, it turned out that the response plan existed on paper, but hardly at all in Prince William Sound.
At the time of the grounding, light breezes and a calm sea state provided optimal conditions for a recovery operation: booms could have been deployed around the ship to limit the spread of the slick, and skimmers brought in to recover the oil. But the people and equipment were not ready, and by the time a serious operation was underway, wind and wave had kicked up and the oil slick could no longer be contained. Who was responsible? What was the exact nature of the responsibility?
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