Web Resources
ORIGINAL REPORTING
"The Human Factor: Why Another Exxon Valdez Could Happen," SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER (March 2005)
Read Eric Nalder's full report on safety lapses aboard oil vessels.
UPDATES FROM THE SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
In October 2006, ConocoPhillips agreed to reimburse the federal government $2.2 million in clean-up costs and pay a $540,000 fine levied by the Washington State Department of Ecology for the Polar Texas spill. The company admitted no wrongdoing. In November 2006, whistleblower Jim Legg, who had provided the P-I with evidence of a possible oil spill cover-up on the Polar Discovery, brought a suit against ConocoPhillips in federal court claiming the company retaliated against him and stalled his career.
OIL INDUSTRIES AND SPILLS
"Tankers Full of Trouble," The Seattle Times (November 1989)
Eric Nalder's six-part investigation into tanker safety in the wake of the Exxon Valdez spill won a Pulitzer Prize. In 1994, Nalder published a book under the same title about the journey he took on a supertanker as part of his reporting for the series.
Congressional Research Service, "Oil Spills in U.S. Coastal Waters: Background, Governance, and Issues for Congress" (Updated 4/24/2007)
This CRS report reviews "the history and trends of oil spills in the United States, and identifies the legal authorities governing oil spill prevention, response, and clean up."
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council
This Anchorage-based agency provides in-depth information on the 1989 disaster: how the spill happened, how it was cleaned up, and what's happened since.
ConocoPhillips
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, ConocoPhillips is the third largest oil company in the United States. Nalder's reporting focused primarily on its wholly owned subsidiary, Polar Tankers.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND OIL SAFETY
Oil Pollution Act of 1990
Following the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989, Congress amended the Clean Water Act to address the wide range of problems associated with preventing, responding to, and paying for oil pollution incidents in navigable waters of the United States. This U.S. Coast Guard site summarizes and provides links to the complete text of the legislation.
Washington State Department of Ecology
This State agency's mission is to protect and preserve Washington's environment. The website offers a wide variety of resources on Puget Sound, including information on oil spill preparedness and local response.
NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration
The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration offers this page of resources for students and teachers interested in oil and chemical spills, including a history of oil spills and access to software created by the Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) that can predict the trajectory of oil spilled in a particular scenario.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), "Understanding Oil Spills and Oil Spill Response"
Find out how oil spills happen, what effects they have on the environment and how they can be prevented.
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