Ranar 24 ga watan Maris, 1989, a cikin abin da ake gani a matsayin daya daga cikin mafi munin man fetur a tarihin Amurka, wani tanki mallakar Exxon, da "Exxon Valdez", ya yi karo da Bligh Reef, zubar da
Jirginsa na sama da galan miliyan goma na danyen mai a cikin Yarima William Sound a Alaska kuma yana haifar da mutuwar dubban tsuntsayen teku da dabbobi masu shayarwa na teku. Kyaftin din jirgin ya jagoranci jirgin ne tare da tarihin yanke hukunci game da shan giya, kuma an umarci Exxon da alƙali ya biya diyya ta azabtarwa a cikin adadin dala biliyan 5. Wannan hukuncin ya ragu, bayan daukaka kara da yawa, zuwa dala miliyan 500 kawai a shekara ta 2008.