Background and Impact of Tanker Accidents in the Late 1980s and 1990s

Background and Impact of Tanker Accidents in the Late 1980s and 1990s

During this period, many tanker accidents occurred and oil spills caused extensive damage to the marine environment. The use of aging vessels, inadequate regulations, the fragility of single hull structures, and the rapid increase in the volume of crude oil transported were the main causes. As a representative example, the Exxon Valdez accident in 1989 spilled approximately 41640 kiloliters of crude oil and resulted in the enactment of the Oil Pollution Prevention Act (OPA 90) in the United States. In addition, approximately 270,000 people in Japan participated in cleanup activities following the 1997 Nakhodka heavy oil spill. In response to these efforts, international regulations and emergency response systems have been strengthened, but the problems of aging vessels and avoidance of regulations remain an ongoing challenge.