Exxon Valdez Grounding, Prince William Sound
24 March 1989 · Bligh Reef, Prince William Sound, Alaska, USA
The tanker Exxon Valdez, loaded with crude oil, struck Bligh Reef and spilled roughly 37,000 tonnes of oil into Prince William Sound. The spill contaminated hundreds of kilometres of Alaskan coastline and caused extensive wildlife mortality.
Why it matters
The disaster drove the US Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90), which made double hulls mandatory for new oil tankers operating in US waters and transformed tanker design, liability and spill-response requirements worldwide.