Episode Details

On March 24, 1989, the Exxon Valdez supertanker struck Bligh Reef in Alaska’s Prince William Sound, unleashing nearly 11 million gallons of crude oil into pristine waters. In this episode of pplpod, we investigate the chain of failures that led to the second-largest spill in U.S. history, from a broken radar system to a sleep-deprived crew and a captain absent from the bridge.

We explore the immediate and long-term devastation caused by the disaster, including the deaths of hundreds of thousands of seabirds and marine mammals, and the economic collapse of local fisheries and Native communities. We also discuss the botched cleanup efforts—which recovered only 10% of the oil—and the decades-long legal battle that saw the Supreme Court slash Exxon’s punitive damages from $5 billion to just $507.5 million. Tune in to learn how this tragedy spurred the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 and why oil still lingers on Alaska’s beaches today.