The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

A negligent captain, a reckless decision, frozen waters, and a treacherous reef all created the largest oil spill and perhaps the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history. The grounding of the Exxon Valdez upon Bligh Reef in Alaska's Prince William Sound and the resulting spill and mismanaged cleanup of 240,000 barrels of oil were not, however, simply due to a series of mistakes and bad decisions on board the tanker. The disaster was made possible by the greed of oil industry executives, politicians, government bureaucrats, and Alaskan taxpayers who became blinded to environmental and safety concerns.