Lingering Oil from the 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Seen in 2012: As the issues continue with the Shell Alaska drilling unit Kulluk and Shell’s exploration efforts, it is important to remember than crude lingers for a long time in the arctic environment, heightening the importance of conducting exploration activities right the first time or possibly avoiding them altogether. Recovering crude oil in an ice laden environment is not proven technology.
Dave Janka, a well-regarded research vessel operator in Prince William Sound (PWS), is involved in PWS beach survey work every summer. He has provided some images of lingering oil from the Exxon Valdez disaster of 1989 in beach sediments, seen in the summer of 2012 at Eleanor and Disc Islands. Unlike the Gulf of Mexico, crude oil does not readily disperse in the north and lingers in the environment for a long time.
Copyright © 2013 by Alan Sorum