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Exxon Valdez
Exxon Valdez was the original name of an oil tanker owned by the former Exxon Corporation. It gained widespread infamy after the March 24, 1989 oil spill in which the tanker hit Prince William Sound's Bligh Reef and spilled an estimated 11 to 30 million U.S. gallons of crude oil: the Exxon Valdez oil spill. As a result of the spill thousands of animals perished in the following months. The best estimates are: 250,000 sea birds, 2,800 sea otters, 300 harbor seals, 250 bald eagles, up to 22 orcas, and billions of salmon and herring eggs. In addition, the oil killed off a majority of the plankton supply in the sound. Many centers were set up to clean animals but they were too late in many cases.
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Earth & Climate News
March 18, 2026
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