Exxon ValdezPresented By: Delaurean Washington

Rajesh Manandhar

Mary Ngo

FIVE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Be able to identify how the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill occurred.

Know the chemistry behind an oil spill.

Be able to identify any laws that were passed after the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill occurred.

Identify the clean up measures that were used in this incident.

Be able to identify some of the effects the oil spill had on marine and human life.

History/Background Info

On March 23, 1989 at 9:12 p.m. the oil tanker boat known as the Exxon Valdez was scheduled to transport over 60 million gallons of oil from Prince William Sound to Long Beach, California to be refined over a 5-day time span.

Due to some ice fragments that had broken off from the Columbia glacier, Capt. John Hazelwood had decided to take Exxon Valdez off its normal route to steer clear of the glacier pieces.

History/Background Info

During this time of steering off course, John Hazelwood, decided to leave from the bridge area and leave the Third mate in charge of the ship.

Through a lot of unforeseen mistakes and lack of communication at about 12:04 a.m. on March 24, 1989, Exxon Valdez ran across the Bligh Reef.

Within the time span of five hours about 11 million gallons of oil had spilled from the ruptured hull of the tanker and into the Prince William Sound

History/Background Info

Over the next few days, the winds were very mild and currents were very minimal which gave hope that the oil spill although large was confined to one area of the Prince William Sound.

However, the weather had another plan because on March 27th, 3 days after the oil was spilled. A storm blew in with about twenty foot waves through the Western region of the Prince William Sound and into the Gulf of Alaska.

History/Background Info

All in the span of one night, the already large body of oil went from spanning over 4 miles to an oil slick that measured over 40 miles.

After a couple more days, the oil slick was now about 700 miles which oiled the coastline.

History/Background Info

Components of Crude Oil

The major components of crude oil:

Hydrocarbons

Paraffins

Naphthenes

Aromatics

Asphaltenes

Non hydrocarbon components

Components of Crude Oil

Paraffins (Alkanes) Naphthenes (Cycloalkanes)

Components of Crude Oil

Aromatics or PAH Non hydrocarbon components

Components of Crude Oil

Asphaltene

Fate of Oil Spill in Sea

Advective and spreading processes

Physical processes Evaporation Dissolution Vertical Dispersion Emulsification Sedimentation

Chemical processes Photooxidation Autooxidation

Biological transformation Metabolism Storage Discharge

Fate of Oil Spill in Sea

Fate of Oil Spill in Sea

Fate of Oil Spill

Shoreline contamination

Insoluble contaminants will seep thru the sandy beach and reach the water table.

Can not easily degrade and hardest to clean

Study by Michael Boufadel of Temple University

Results have shown that oil form 1989 spill still persists

Fate of Oil Spill

Photooxidation of PAH:

Fate of Oil Spill

Autooxidation:

Metabolism of PAH

Ways to Clean up an Oil Spill

Containment boom: it is a large float that surrounds the oil slick and as it is pulled into a boat it skims the oil off of the top until the oil slick shrinks

Detergent solutions: which can be sprayed onto the oil slick and cause the oil to break up into clumps and sink to the bottom on the ocean

Absorbent sand: can be used by pouring sand on the oil slick which also drags the oil to the bottom of ocean in sandy clumps

Ways to Clean up an Oil spill

Oil eating bacteria: recently designed to use the oil slick as food. When the bacteria reproduces, the bacteria eats more of the oil slick until it vanishes. When the oil slick is gone, the bacteria die off because the food source is gone so nothing is left in the water

Fire: if the oil slick contains highly flammable compounds and is very small, the oil slick can be set on fire. Although this is rarely done because most oil slicks do not contain flammable compounds

Absorbent Pads: If the slick is small and in a fresh water setting then the oil slick can be cleaned up by absorbent pads and when they are full they can be cleaned off the surface of the water

Exxon Valdez Cleanup

The initial goal was to remove as much as oil as possible

The methods that were used in 1989 were the absorbent pads, low and moderate pressure washing with cold and warm water coupled with near shore oil skimmers, mechanical removal of oil sediments and bioremediation.

In 1989, the removal of oil and natural cleaning of the oiled shores during the storms of 1989-1990 produced a major reduction in the oil remaining in the Prince William Sound so that less intrusive cleanup measures had to be used in the upcoming years.

Exxon Valdez Cleanup

The less intrusive cleanup measures were tilling, removal of tar mats physically, and the spreading of oil-soluble fertilizer to promote microbial degradation of petroleum residues (bioremediation).

These cleanup measures coupled with natural oil degradation processes were very successful in reducing the amount of remaining residues of the spill and in June of 1992, representatives of the federal and state governments determined that no additional cleanup of shoreline was warranted, and the cleanup was terminated.

Exxon Valdez Cleanup

Exxon Valdez Cleanup

Still Remaining

After 3 decades

More than 21,000 gallons remain from 11 million gallons

Oil decreases at rate of 0-4% a year

In isolated coves

and underneath

Sand Death Marsh

Still remaining Intensive cleanup ended in 1994

Naturally breakdown of oil has slowed

Oil-coated beaches isolated from

regular water flow Inspired 1990 U.S. Oil Pollution

Act

By 2020, all oil tanks have double

hulls

Still Remaining

11,000-person crew removed much of oil until 1994

1990 Oil Pollution Act

George H. Bush signed in 1990

Oil spill prevention measures

New requirements for oil transportation, cleanups, and response capabilities

Section 311

Section 311 of Clean water Act and Federal Water Pollution Control Act

Amendments included:

Changes to federal response authority

Penalty increases for oil spills

Establishment of U.S. Coast Guard response organization

Mandated tank vessel and facility response plants

Formulation of area contingency plans for selected areas

Section 311

Enhancing federal response capability

Creating new research and development programs

Increasing potential liabilities

Exxon ordered to pay interest

2009, $470 million in interest on the $507.5 million in punitive damage

Interest started in 1996, at 5.9%

$70 million in court fee left!

Originally was $5 billion settlement for victims

$15,000 per victim, 33,000 plaintiffs

Exxon ordered to pay interest

Animals affected?

Thousands of animals died

250,000 -- 350,000 sea birds

2,800 sea otters

300 harbor seals

250 bald eagles

22 orcas

7 whales

Billions of salmon and herring

eggs perished

Impact on Marine Life

Billions of fish killed

Eating oil contaminated food

Starved to death

Thick layer of oil on surface disrupted marine life beneath

No sunlight

Impact on Fishing

Fishing ban

4,000 jobs on fishing industry were affected

Risk of cancer connected to consumption of sea produce

$286.8 million to 10, 000 Alaskan commercial fisherman

Impact on Humans

Psychiatric symptoms and association with level of exposure to oil spill and clean up operation

Anxiety Post-traumatic stress syndrome Depression

Many Workers

Lots of workers

Still more workers……

Floating booms and skimmers barges

1,4000 vessels and 85 save animals

Exxon Restoration Plan

1994 – 5 fold plan of action

Surveillance of main resources and species affected

Restoration of sites

Protection of habitats

Management of long term reserve fund

Scientific coordination, administration and communication

References1. http://fiesta.bren.ucsb.edu/~vbroje/images/oilspillab.pdf

2. http://archive.greenpeace.org/climate/arctic/reports/exxon2.pdf

3. http://www.bowdoin.edu/faculty/d/dpage/html/evos10yr.shtml

4. Speight, J. G. The chemistry and technology of petroleum; Marcel Dekker: New York, 1999.

5. Simanzhenkov, V.,Idem, R., Crude oil chemistry  - Technology and Engineering, 2003

6. Bluemink, E. Persistence of Exxon Valdez oil may be explained by study. Web article available at http://www.adn.com/2010/01/17/1097964/exxon-spill-oil-persistence-may.html#ixzz0jauol3Re, 2010.

7. Larson, R. A., Weber, E. J. Reaction mechanisms in environmental organic chemistry. 1994. 221-224

8. Pictures obtained from:

1. http://www.bowdoin.edu/faculty/d/dpage/html/evos10yr.shtml

2. www.bestsynthetic.com/volatility.shtml

3. www.princeton.edu/~chm333/2004/Bioremediation...

4. http://www.oneinchpunch.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/crude-oil-spill-clear-up.jpg

5. http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/388/09032303valdeztankerbig.jpg

6. http://www.maritimequest.com/freighters/exxon_valdez/exxon_valdez_02.jpg

7. Video Obtained fro,m: http://www.evostc.state.ak.us/

http://www.sustainabilityninja.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/exxon-oil-spill.jpghttp://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/03/valdezle

References

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/03/valdezlegacy/

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1P2-904613.html

http://feww.wordpress.com/2009/06/16/court-caps-damages-in-exxon-valdez/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-chameides/exxon-valdez-20-years-lat_b_176262.html

http://www.eoearth.org/article/Exxon_Valdez_oil_spill

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/02/02/eveningnews/main4769329.shtml#comments

http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0215471/oil_spills.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPgIfT5mGVc&feature=related

http://www.adn.com/2010/01/17/1097964/exxon-spill-oil-persistence-may.html

http://www.black-tides.com/uk/tools/exxon-valdez-most-expensive-oil-spill.pdf