Exxon Valdez Oil Spill 1989, Gulf Of Mexico 2010: A Comparison

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The Exxon Valdez Disaster: 20 Years Later

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Exxon Valdez Oil Spill 1989 vs Oil Spill Gulf Of Mexico 2010

With oil still spewing into the Gulf of Mexico and the clean up effort being hampered by the weather, comparisons are starting to be made between the Gulf Oil Spill of 2010 and the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill of 1989.

But in reality it is too early to make a completely accurate comparison, simply because the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has not reached the shores of Mississippi or Louisiana - it is an ongoing disaster whereas the Exxon spill occurred 21 years ago.

So the environmental impact is difficult to determine without the benefit of time.

What can be looked at is the volume and quantities of oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico and compare that to what happened with the Exxon Valdez in 1989.

Oil Spill Gulf of Mexico 2010

The oil spill started last week after an explosion, fire and subsequent sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig. The rig located about 80 miles off the coast of Louisiana started leaking about 5,000 barrels a day.

Containment crews have had some success but unfavorable winds and the tides have now pushed the oil to 12 miles off the coast line.

Exxon Valdez Oil Spill 

• Exxon Valdez Spill Settlement
• Exxon Valdez Site Status
  

The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in Alaska's Prince William Sound on March 24th 1989. It is considered one of the worst human triggered environmental disasters ever. In terms of amount of oil spilled it outranks the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Oil Spill Gulf of Mexico 2010: Environmental Damage

• Gulf Oil Spill Update
• Gulf Oil Spill, View From Space
  

Though it is still too early to determine the exact environment damage of the Gulf Oil Spill, if the oil reaches the shore unfettered then here is what could happen. Fisheries, Birdlife, and Tourism would be severely impacted. In terms of fish, the Atlantic Blue Fin Tuna could be hit hard, an already critically endangered species.

We expect a spill like this could dramatically decrease the amount of bluefin tuna larvae that are surviving," said John Hocevar, the Oceans Campaign director for Greenpeace USA.

Birds, especially in the Chandeleur and Breton barrier islands in Louisiana could be very vulnerable.

Tourism could be hit hard if the oil reaches the beautiful beaches of the Gulf Coast - oil slicked sand is clearly not a tourist draw.

Exxon Valdez Environmental Damage

The environmental damages caused the Exxon Valdez oil spill are still being felt 21 years after the oil started spilling into Prince William Sound - environmental damage inflicted, partly because of the clean up challenge in Alaska was more extreme than it is in the Gulf of Mexico.

The remote location of Prince William Sound, the unfavorable weather, the rocky coves, and many say the slow response of Exxon in cleaning up the spill all made the environmental disaster even worse.

Now, 20 decades after the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill scientists say they found a bio-marker (CYP1A) for oil in ducks is abnormally high in the populations in the area of the Exxon Valdez Spill.

BP the company that owns the oil that is spilling into the Gulf has been working with the coast guard to contain the spill. So far it seems BP has not been slammed for its clean up efforts. BP has been spending about $6 million a day to clean up the spill.

The open question is exactly how much oil is spilled BP says it is not 5,000 barrels a day (250,000 gallons), claiming that 5,000 barrels is the upper limit.

The final question is what will the weather do? The  weather seems to have turned and now the prevailing winds and tides seem pushing the oil toward the shore and so the clean up efforts become even more time sensitive and crucial.