On this day in 1989, the Exxon Valdez supertanker, owned and operated by Exxon Corporation, collided with a reef in southern Alaska's Prince William Sound.
The accident resulted in one of the largest oil spills the country had ever seen, with an estimated 11 million gallons of crude oil spewing into the water.
As desperate attempts to contain the spill proved futile, the oil soon spread beyond 100 miles from the initial site, ravaging over 700 miles of coastline and devastatingly impacting the region's wildlife.
As the world struggled to come to terms with the scale of the catastrophe, the cause of the accident was slowly revealed to the public.
The ship's captain, Joseph Hazelwood, had been drinking during the collision and allowed an unlicensed officer to navigate the boat.
Despite being found guilty of misdemeanor negligence and slapped with a hefty fine and community service, a federal statute ensured that Hazelwood walked free from prosecution.
Meanwhile, Exxon was criticized by the National Transportation Safety Board and forced to pay $100 million as a penalty and another $1 billion for the cleanup.
However, the settlement was far from satisfactory. Exxon and Alaska rejected the deal, and the oil giant ultimately paid $25 million, less than 4 percent of its earlier pledge. The Exxon Valdez spill remains a stark reminder of the catastrophic consequences of negligence and a failure to fulfill corporate responsibility.
#ThisDayInHistory
March 24, 1989
There are no consequences for the rich and powerful.