Exxon Valdez oil spill cleanup, 2-butoxyethanol, was identified as "one of the agents that caused liver, kidney, lung, nervous system, and blood disorders among cleanup crews in Alaska following the 1989 "Exxon Valdez" spill. Mechanical cleanup was started shortly afterwards using booms and skimmers, but the skimmers were not readily available during the first 24 hours following the spill, and thick oil and kelp tended to clog the equipment. Despite civilian insistence for a complete clean, only 10% of total oil was actually completely cleaned. Exxon was widely criticized for its slow response to cleaning up the disaster and John Devens, the mayor of
Montara oil spill Australia and the operator of the oil field should be held responsible for any environmental damage caused by the oil spill. In June 2010, the East Nusa Tenggara provincial government estimated that economic losses due to the pollution of the Timor Sea resulting from the Montara spill amounted to more than 2.5-3 trillion rupiah (Rp) or $318–382 million (AUD). The loss was born exclusively by the fishermen and coastal residents whose living was dependent on marine resources. The Indonesian president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono announced that the Indonesian government would seek compensation from PTTEPAA because he believed the lives of Indonesian