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Exxon Valdez Oil Spill - March 1989 On March 24, 1989, the Exxon-owned tanker Exxon Valdez struck the Captain Brye Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska, USA. Approximately 412,000 liters (260,000 barrels) of crude oil spilled, contaminating 3,367 square kilometers of ocean. The spilled oil contained harmful substances like benzene, spreading along 2,092 kilometers of coastline and killing approximately 250,000 seabirds, 3,000 sea otters, 250 eagles, and 22 orcas. Following the accident, Exxon incurred $2.1 billion in cleanup costs, $1.5 billion in fines and compensation, and over $2.5 billion in litigation expenses. This incident prompted the enactment of the Oil Pollution Act in the United States. The International Maritime Organization also amended its conventions to mandate double-hulled vessels, leading to strengthened marine environmental protection efforts worldwide.