The Alaska History & Cultural Studies Website is a resource offered by the Alaska Humanities Forum.

The site will be undergoing a remodel after the 2012/13 school year, please help by providing us with your feedback. Thank you!

 
Search   

History Units
  - Geography
  - Alaska's Cultures
  - Russia's Colony
  - America's Territory
  - Governing Alaska
  - Modern Alaska

Related Stories
  - Things to Know - AK’s Economy (Power Point)
  - Between Worlds
  - Dividing AK, 1867-2000: Changing Land Ownership & Management
  - Trends in Alaska

Field Trips
  - Visit the Alaska State Museum
  - Ride the Alaska Railroad

In the News
  - State pursues ownership of Salcha River
  - Bidders dig deep for rights in NPR-A
  - Volunteer helps Anchorage's growing Hmong population integrate

Teacher's Guide

Regional History
Alaska: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
The Legacy of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

The massive Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989 showed Alaskans and the world the vulnerability of the extraordinary environment of Alaska. Studies in 2002 and 2003 reported that oil is still found on the beaches and in the waters of Prince William Sound, where the spill occurred. Some scientists argue that the oil will eventually dissipate, that the harm done by the spill was temporary, and that its effects will become less and less over time. On a tourist boat cruise through the Sound today, the oil and its effects are not very visible.

Other scientists argue that most of the wildlife species harmed by the spill have not recovered that subsistence resources like clams and crabs are still affected, and that even the toughest safety measures do not guarantee that there might not be another accident. In addition, not all legal action resulting from the suit has been fully settled. Yes, many Alaskans have put the spill behind them.

The challenge in a state as dependent on oil production as Alaska is how to support safety measures while at the same time supporting resource development. Bringing these two things into balance – protection of the environment and economic development – is perhaps the greatest task Alaskans face.

How does an understanding of how the Exxon Valdez spill happened help to judge what protective measures are appropriate in the future?


<< Previous Page       Next Page >>
Alaska Economy and Resource Development The Military in Alaska

View this page as an Adobe PDF file


© Copyright 2004 - 2013 Alaska Humanities Forum
Web site design by Lucid Reverie
For a complete list of acknowledgements, click here.
Please read our Terms and Conditions - Word Document or PDF.