No one anticipated any unusual problems as the Exxon Valdez left the Alyeska Pipeline Terminal at 9:12 p.m., Alaska Standard Time, on March 23,1989. The 987 foot ship, second newest in Exxon Shipping Company's 20-tanker fleet, was loaded with 53,094,510 gallons (1,264,155 barrels) of North Slope crude oil bound for Long Beach, California.

Tankers carrying North Slope crude oil had safely transited Prince William Sound more than 8,700 times in the 12 years since oil began flowing through the trans-Alaska pipeline, with no major disasters and few serious incidents.

This experience gave little reason to suspect impending disaster. Yet less than three hours later, the Exxon Valdez grounded at Bligh Reef, rupturing eight of its 11 cargo tanks and spewing some 10.8 million gallons of crude oil into Prince William Sound.  As we have seen in the gulf oil spill, this impacts the entire U.S, ruining lives, families, killing people, and killing animals.  Take a look at their web-site shown below, which gives oil spill facts, questions and answers, pictures, economic impacts, settlement, restoration plan, lingering Oil, and spill prevention and response.

http://www.evostc.state.ak.us/facts/details.cfm