The 20th anniversary of the Exxon-Valdez crude oil spill will be this March 24. The spill took place in Prince William Sound, Alaska. While the tanker was passing through the sound, it hit the Bligh Reef and spilled 11 million gallons of heavy crude oil, making this spill the largest and most damaging oil spill in U.S. history. The spill eventually covered 1,300 miles of coastline and affected 24 coastal communities.

Gregory Button, a professor of anthropology, gave a speech on Thursday, March 12. He has been working as a disaster researcher for many years and helped clean up the Exxon-Valdez spill, as well as many other natural disasters.

Damage to wildlife included the death of 3,500 to 5,500 sea otters, 200 harbor seals, and 26,000 to 58,000 sea birds, along with 50 bald eagles and 22 killer whales. -Gregory Button, professor of anthropology at UT"The Exxon-Valdez spill was a bench mark event in our nation's economy and environment," Button said. "The spill covered a large part of the Alaskan coast and affected many communities and wildlife. For an estimation of how large the spill area, think of Cape Cod, Mass. coast all the way down to Washington D.C."

For such a large spill, many people were required to help clean it up. Planes, ships and crew were brought in from San Diego and Alabama to help in the cleanup efforts.

"Damage to wildlife included the death of 3,500 to 5,500 sea otters, 200 harbor seals, and 26,000 to 58,000 sea birds, along with 50 bald eagles and 22 killer whales," Button said.

When the spill occurred, the commercial fishermen's industries were closed due to the pollution in the water. The effects on the human population after the spill were immediate. Some things that occurred were expansion of small communities, loss of control of the daily life process, and a shortage of food access, said Button. 

"In a way, the Exxon-Valdez spill caused the creation of boom towns like in the California gold rush," Button said.

By bringing in cleaning crews who worked 24-hour cycles for many weeks at a time, the cities along the spill line experienced a lot of stress. Exxon cleanup workers were paid very well and spent their money on inappropriate things like drugs and alcohol. Some of these workers were natives, and this caused problems within the community. People were falling apart and becoming divided.

"There was a measured increase in psychological effects, including general anxiety disorder, depression, P.T.S.D., sleeplessness, mental and physical fatigue, an increase in self-medication, drug and alcohol abuse and domestic violence, and separation and divorce," Button said.

A lawsuit was filed against Exxon-Valdez, and Exxon consequently had to pay more than $507 million as ordered by the Supreme Court. The spill instated the Oil Act of 1990, and many other actions were taken to prevent such tragedy from occurring again.