This Day in History: 1989-03-24

Exxon Valdez spill takes place this day in 1989 as a supertanker plows into an easily avoidable reef. A drunken captain and a radar that Exxon was too cheap to fix are factors in this episode of unfathomable negligence. From 250,000 to 750,000 barrels of oil are spilled in the once-pristine Prince William Sound in Alaska. After decades of litigation, Exxon managed to reduce a $5 billion fine to $500 million. The single-hulled oil tanker continued hauling oil until broken up for scrap in 2012. Twenty five years after the Alaska spill, scientists are still surprised at the continued presence of relatively fresh oil in Prince William Sound.