An inevitable crisis in the offing

On March 23, 1989, the supertanker Exxon Valdez ran aground on the Bligh Reef, Alaska, spilling 35,000 tonnes of crude. The 300 metre-long, 215,000 tonne ship needed 11 km of open water and 25 minutes to halt. It had a turning radius of 1 km. The officer on watch saw the Reef. But he misjudged the ship's momentum and by the time he reacted, it was too late.

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