Oil spill governance in the United States the "Exxon Valdez" incident a number of laws were in place to prevent and respond to oil spills. These include: The above legislations were the principle governing instruments of oil spills incidents prior to the "Exxon Valdez" oil spill. Several attempts by congress to establish more encompassing and elaborate oil pollution laws were hindered by belligerent issues which mostly produced stalemates. One such conflict was federal law limiting a state's ability to enforce requirements and liability for parties responsible for causing oil spills. The focus of the debates was mostly centred on party liability. An example of the type of
NEPCO 140 oil spill NEPCO 140 oil spill The NEPCO 140 Oil Spill took place in 1976 near Clayton, New York when the NEPCO 140 ran aground while traveling inland, spilling an estimated of oil into the Saint Lawrence River. On June 23, 1976, the tugboat "Eileen C" was pushing the NEPCO 140 barge, filled with crude oil, when it ran aground in the American Narrows, off Wellesley Island, in the Thousand Islands region. The Captain had not made a large enough adjustment to his course, when realizing the vessel was off-track in the thick fog.<ref name="Suspension_Revocation/Commandant_Decisions"></ref> Upon running aground, the barge ruptured two