Local government response to the American Trader oil spill of 1990: Implications for policy

In February 1990, the tanker American Trader ran aground and spilled c. 9500 barrels (bbls) of Alaskan crude oil 2286m (7500 ft) off Huntington Beach, California. Five coastal cities were threatened by the spill, and two were especially active in directing responses to the spill's impacts. In s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ocean & coastal management 1993, Vol.19 (1), p.59-73
Main Authors: Fischer, David W., Martinet, Louis
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accidents
California
Coastal oceanography, estuaries. Regional oceanography
Earth, ocean, space
Environmental aspects
Environmental policy
Exact sciences and technology
External geophysics
Local government
Marine
Oil pollution of rivers, harbors, etc
Petroleum industry
Physics of the oceans
Tank ships
United States
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Summary:In February 1990, the tanker American Trader ran aground and spilled c. 9500 barrels (bbls) of Alaskan crude oil 2286m (7500 ft) off Huntington Beach, California. Five coastal cities were threatened by the spill, and two were especially active in directing responses to the spill's impacts. In spite of this existing threat, only one city had a prepared, oil-spill contingency plan. Key questions that arose were who was in charge, the role of dispersants and how to clean the beaches. Problems of communications, slick monitoring, volunteers, boat harbors and the media were present. Lessons learned were the need for joint oil-spill planning, clarification of the role of the state, the need for a joint command center, the need to plan for volunteers and the vital role for local governments.
ISSN:0964-5691
1873-524X
DOI:10.1016/0964-5691(93)90076-B