Oral history chronicles 1989 oil spill

The Prince William Sound Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council and the University of Alaska Fairbanks have partnered to create an online oral history of the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

“Through the university’s Project Jukebox website, visitors can access video, audio and written resources that offer a rich understanding of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill,” the council said in a July 23 press release. “The personal stories of 20 people who experienced the spill firsthand are highlighted in the project. Each person talks about the impact the spill had on their life and the environment, the cleanup response, the long-term effects of the spill, and changes in the oil industry since 1989. Twenty-five years after the Exxon Valdez oil spill, Project Jukebox is helping preserve this piece of history. Many of these stories are being told for the first time.”

To access the oral history, go to http://jukebox.uaf.edu/exxonvaldez.

The council, the Alaska State Library and others provided funding support for the project.

The council is a congressionally mandated nonprofit that monitors the oil tanker terminal at Valdez. The council draws most of its funding through a contract with the terminal operator, Alyeska Pipeline Service Co.

The Exxon Valdez was an oil tanker that struck a reef in Prince William Sound, spilling about 11 million gallons of North Slope crude. No one died in the shipwreck, but the spill had a major impact on wildlife and habitat.

The oral history interviews “will be of particular interest to local residents of Prince William Sound, the Kenai Peninsula and Kodiak Island who were impacted by the spill, but also to people from around the world hoping to prevent similar accidents in their coastal waters,” the council said.

The council added: “These poignant oral history recordings are stark reminders of the need to combat complacency regarding oil spill risks.”

- Wesley Loy