Gray Whale Succumbs to Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, Latoucha Island, Alaska (John Gaps III / AP)

The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Gray Whale Succumbs to Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, Latoucha Island, Alaska (John Gaps III / AP)

March 24, 1989 the Exxon Valdez ran aground on Bligh Reef. Eleven million gallons (257,000 barrels) of crude oil spilled into the area. The largest oil spill in United States history. Widely considered the most environmentally destructive due to the remote and pristine condition of the damaged area.

Over 1500 kilometers of pristine coastline in • Alaska were polluted. After 6 months of cleaning, • less than 200 kilometers was fit for plant and • animal life. • Estimated Initial Death Toll: • 250,000 seabirds • 2,800 sea otters • 300 harbor seals • 250 bald eagles • up to 22 killer whales • billions of salmon and herring eggs • many other plants and animals

Maine to host Nation’s Largest Oil Spill Drill Reported by Tom Porter Re-reported by Andrew Baglini 3/26/09

The Oil Pollution Act • "A company cannot ship oil into the United States until it presents a plan to prevent spills that may occur. It must also have a detailed containment and cleanup plan in case of an oil spill emergency." Established in 1990. States as one of it’s regulations that a major oil spill exercise be done every few years. Next one to occur on March 22nd, 2010 in Portland, Maine

Portland, Maine Second biggest oil importing port on the east coast. 174 million barrels came through the facility last year. Coast Guard contains fleets of cleanup vessels, contaminant booms, oil skimming barges. Nearly all oil tankers coming into America now have double strength hulls Will become home to the largest oil spill drill in the United States on March 22nd, 2010

Portland, Maine Coast Guard has enough storage space for 18 million gallons of oil. Training exercises occur every spring. Includes containment boom deployments Can protect the upper Fore River from the harbor within 2 hours These impressive level of preparedness was put to the test 12 ½ years ago Julie N Tanker hit a bridge in Portland, spilling 180,000 gallons of oil 148,000 gallons of oil successfully cleaned up.

If an oil spill of the same size were to occur in Portland Harbor, the spill size could reach all the way to Delaware.

To keep this drill as realistic as possible, no one will know what will happen. On Drill Day

Captain Jim McPherson of the U.S. Coast Guard: • “We know it'll involve some large ship. It could be either a weather event or a vessel runs aground, or it could be a collision between vessels. Part of that test is that we're not going to know the whole scenario, but we know it's going to be something like that,” • This operation will: • Take place over several days • Involve at least 20 federal, state, and local agencies • Use over one thousand personnel On Drill Day

Drill will stretch through Maine to New Hampshire, possibly farther. • Canadians will be involved. On Drill Day

Since the Exxon Valdez incident, oil spills have been reduced by 90 percent across the nation thanks to proper preparation. Good Luck!!

References: Maine Public Broadcasting Network http://www.mpbn.net/News/MaineNews/tabid/181/ctl/ViewItem/mid/1858/ItemId/9823/Default.aspx United Nations Educational, Scientific, Cultural Organization http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php-URL_ID=29447&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html PWSRCAC http://www.pwsrcac.org/about/history.html

Gray Whale Succumbs to Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, Latoucha Island, Alaska (John Gaps III / AP)