It Seemed Like the Whole Bay Died

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kai Erikson
Keyword(s):  
Crude Oil ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Prince William Sound ◽  
Exxon Valdez ◽  
Native Peoples ◽  
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Ways Of Life

This chapter examines the impact of the Exxon Valdez oil spill on the Native peoples of Alaska. The disaster occurred in March 1989, when the supertanker Exxon Valdez ran aground on a reef in Prince William Sound. At least eleven million gallons of crude oil blackened more than a thousand miles of Alaskan coastline. The chapter considers what harm the disaster did to the Native individuals exposed to it and what damage it caused to the texture of their customary ways of life. In particular, it analyzes the ways that the oil spill affected the Alutiiq people's subsistence life as well as the Native way of being. It also discusses the Alutiiq's feeling of homelessness in the wake of the disaster.

scholarly journals Bald Eagles in Alaska Following the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

1991 ◽  
Vol 1991 (1) ◽  
pp. 229-233
Author(s):  
Marjorie J. Gibson
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Prince William Sound ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Exxon Valdez ◽  
Bald Eagles ◽  
Field Surveys ◽  
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill ◽  
Rehabilitation Programs ◽  
Kodiak Island ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT Despite initial concerns about the impact of the Exxon Valdez oil spill on bald eagles in Prince William Sound, accumulating evidence indicates that the area's eagle population is doing well. This paper presents and discusses the 1989 data collected during the Prince William Sound and Kodiak Island Eagle Capture and Short-term Rehabilitation Programs, as well as 1990 data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's operational field surveys.

EFFORT TO RESCUE OTTERS AFTER SPILL IS IN DISPUTE

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 88 (3) ◽  
pp. 661-661
Author(s):  
J. F. L.
Keyword(s):  
Crude Oil ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Preliminary Data ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Exxon Valdez ◽  
Sea Otters ◽  
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill ◽  
Rehabilitation Centers ◽  
Government Contract

ANCHORAGE, April 20—Sea otters rescued from waters fouled by the Exxon Valdez oil spill fared poorly after their return to the wild last fall, and scientists working under Government contract say at least half may have perished over the winter. Nearly 900 dead otters were found after the tanker spilled almost 11 million gallons of crude oil in March 1989. An additional 360 were netted alive and brought to rehabilitation centers at Valdez, Seward, Homer and Kodiak. About 200 were later returned to Prince William Sound but some scientists say that as many as half may have perished and that the rehabilitation effort has been largely futile... The withholding of scientific information on the spill for legal reasons by all the parties is becoming a major source of controversy as research projects begin to generate at least preliminary data.

scholarly journals Nine Years After the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill: Effects on Marine Bird Populations in Prince William Sound, Alaska

The Condor ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 102 (4) ◽  
pp. 723-737 ◽  
Author(s):  
David B. Irons ◽  
Steven J. Kendall ◽  
Wallace P. Erickson ◽  
Lyman L. McDonald ◽  
Brian K. Lance
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Prince William Sound ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Exxon Valdez ◽  
Marine Bird ◽  
Marine Birds ◽  
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill ◽  
Positive Effects

Abstract We compared post Exxon Valdez oil-spill densities of marine birds in Prince William Sound from 1989–1991, 1993, 1996, and 1998 to pre-spill densities from 1984–1985. Post-spill densities of several species of marine birds were lower than expected in the oiled area of Prince William Sound when compared to densities in the unoiled area. These negative effects continued through 1998 for five taxa: cormorants, goldeneyes, mergansers, Pigeon Guillemot (Cepphus columba), and murres. Black Oystercatchers (Haematopus bachmani) and Harlequin Ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus) exhibited negative effects in 1990 and 1991. Loons showed a weak negative effect in 1993. Black-legged Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) showed relative decreases in 1989, 1996, and 1998 which may have been caused by shifts in foraging distribution rather than declines in populations. Glaucous-winged Gulls (Larus glaucescens) showed positive effects in most post-spill years. Murrelets and terns showed relative increases in 1993, 1996, and 1998. Generally, taxa that dive for their food were negatively affected, whereas taxa that feed at the surface were not. Effects for some taxa were dependent upon the spatial scale at which they were analyzed. Movements of birds and the mosaic pattern of oiling reduced our ability to detect oil-spill effects, therefore our results may be conservative. Several marine bird species were negatively affected at the population level and have not recovered to pre-spill levels nine years after the oil spill. The reason for lack of recovery may be related to persistent oil remaining in the environment and reduced forage fish abundance.

Comparative Toxicities of Polar and Non-Polar Organic Fractions From Sediments Affected By the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska

1995 ◽  
Vol 10 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 137-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas A. Wolfe ◽  
K. John Scott ◽  
John R. Clayton ◽  
John Lunz ◽  
James R. Payne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Prince William Sound ◽  
Exxon Valdez ◽  
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill ◽  
Organic Fractions

Controlled Burning of Crude Oil on Water Following the Grounding Of the Exxon Valdez

1991 ◽  
Vol 1991 (1) ◽  
pp. 213-216
Author(s):  
Alan A. Allen
Keyword(s):  
Crude Oil ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
North Slope ◽  
Exxon Valdez ◽  
In Situ Combustion ◽  
Entire Area ◽  
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill ◽  
Original Volume ◽  
Controlled Burning

ABSTRACT During the evening of the second day following the Exxon Valdez oil spill, an estimated 15,000 to 30,000 gallons (57,000 to 114,000 L) of North Slope crude oil were eliminated using in-situ combustion techniques. The oil was collected with the 3M Company's Fire Boom, towed in a U-shaped configuration behind two fishing boats. Working with 500-foot (152-m) tow lines, a 450-foot (137-m) boom was moved at about one-half to one knot (0.26 to 0.52 m/s) through slightly emulsified oil patches downwind of the spill. Once oil had filled the downstream portion of the U-shaped boom and the boats were clear of any surrounding slicks, a gelled-fuel igniter was released from one of the tow boats. Shortly after ignition, flames gradually spread out over the entire area of the contained oil. As flames reached 200 to 300 feet (61 to 91 m) into the air, the area of the contained oil layer (and therefore the size and intensity of the fire) could be controlled by adjusting the speed of the vessels. The total burn time was approximately 75 minutes; however, the intense part of the burn lasted for about 45 minutes. The original volume of oil, likely between 15,000 and 30,000 gallons, was reduced to approximately 300 gallons (1,136 L) of stiff, taffy-like burn residue that could be picked up easily upon completion of the burn. The controlled elimination of crude oil therefore resulted in an estimated 98 percent or better efficiency of burn.

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