The spill, the largest in U.S. history, contaminated more than 300 miles of shoreline and caused billions of dollars in damage. The worldwide attention received by the Exxon Valdez oil spill concentrated federal efforts on how to increase the effectiveness of spill response. A primary goal of OPA is to expand prevention and preparedness activities, and enhance response capabilities of the federal government. In addition, OPA provides for better coordination of spill contingency planning among federal, state and local authorities. Many different components of an ecosystem can be negatively affected by an oil spill.
Environmental effects can be acute and temporary, or persistent and long-lasting.
When an oil spill occurs, fish, wildlife and vegetation that depend on the land and water resources of an affected area are at risk of being exposed to petroleum. External effects of oil on plants and wildlife are often the most noticeable and most immediately debilitating. While not immediately apparent, the internal effects of oil on wildlife are equally life-threatening. For example, oil can damage the digestive systems in animals, preventing them from using food or water, and may penetrate plant tissue, disrupting membrane structures. Many direct and indirect costs are associated wth oil spills.