oil spills

On 15 February 1996, the oil tanker Sea Empress ran aground. Approximately 72,000 tons of crude oil spilled into the Milford Haven waters in Southern Wales, contaminating 200 kilometers of coastline. Swift implementation of environmental regulations, such as temporarily prohibiting mussel harvesting, successfully protected the coastal populations.

When the oil tanker Exxon Valdez runs aground on 24 March 1989, it releases 41.6 million tons of crude oil along the coast of Alaska. The spill causes enormous damage to local ecosystems and wildlife.

Brent Spar becomes one of Greenpeace’s most succesful campaigns to stop the pollution of the seas.

Public protests lead to the prohibition of oil drilling in 1970.