25 Years after the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, Another Major Spill Occurs

A barge spilled 168,000 gallons of heavy oil after colliding with a ship in Galveston Bay outside of Texas City on March 22, just two days shy of the 25th anniversary of the Exxon Valdez, 11 million gallon oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska.

2 minute read

March 25, 2014, 11:00 AM PDT

By Irvin Dawid


"The barge was carrying about 924,000 gallons of bunker oil, according to a report from the U.S. Coast Guard," write Wes Swift, T.J. Aulds, and Kevin M. Cox on the Saturday spill near the Texas City Dike that shut down the busy Houston Ship Channel, thus "delaying shipping traffic in and out of the Port of Galveston," the seventh largest in the country.

Bunker oil or bunker fuel is a heavy crude and highly polluting oil that also is referred to bottom of the barrel oil. Coast Guard Capt. Brian Penoyer said the oil does not evaporate quickly and the cleanup would take several days.

“This is an extremely serious spill,” he said. “This is a persistent oil. It’s a large quantity. It will spread. People should be aware of that.”

The spill occurred in the vicinity of important shorebird habitat, including the Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary, writes Michael Graczyk of Associated Press. "The timing really couldn't be much worse since we're approaching the peak shorebird migration season," said Richard Gibbons, the conservation director of the Houston Audubon Society.

"Twenty-five years ago on March 24, (1989) the oil tanker Exxon Valdez slammed into Bligh Reef and spilled more than 11 million gallons of crude oil into the cold, clear waters of Alaska's Prince William Sound -- one of the "last best places" on Earth," reports Marybeth Holleman in CNN News on the oil spill that hasn't ended.

ABC news reports that the oil from the Galveston Bay spill has "been detected 12 miles offshore in the Gulf of Mexico as of Sunday afternoon," which brings up another oil spill, America's largest. On April 22, 2010 the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform exploded, resulting in a spill, also known as the BP Oil Spill, of an estimated 206 million gallons into the Gulf of Mexico.

The spill resulted in a ban on new oil and gas leases for BP. On March 19, the ban was lifted and "the company took full advantage of the opportunity," ports Stanley Reed in The New York Times. It was the "the high bidder on 24 exploration blocks."

Sunday, March 23, 2014 in Galveston County Daily News

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Blue and silver Amtrak train at small station.

Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train

The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.

July 3 - New Orleans City Business

Large spinning swing ride at Chicago's Navy Pier.

The Subversive Car-Free Guide to Trump's Great American Road Trip

Car-free ways to access Chicagoland’s best tourist attractions.

July 3 - Streetsblog Chicago

Aerial view of downtown San Antonio, Texas at night with rotating Tower of the Americas in foreground.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion

The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

July 3 - Governing