Oil spill governance in the United States debates is illustrated in the question "who is liable in the case of a vessel spill?" The cargo owner or the ship operator/ owner? Another significant issue was the interaction of domestic legislation and international measures. In 1980's, international agreements being considered would take over oil spills federal and state laws adding further complexity to party liability. However, after the "Exxon Valdez" incident, the short comings of the patchy framework for oil spill governance was apparent and growing pressure placed on lawmakers resulted in the establishment of the more comprehensive Oil Pollution Act of 1990. The Oil Pollution Act (1990):
Montara oil spill causes and effects of the spill. Since the spill in August 2009 Martin Ferguson has signed 120 new gas and oil exploration licenses but has still not imposed any regulations on deep sea oil drilling. Elmer Danenberger, who used to be in charge of regulatory affairs for the U.S. Minerals Management Service, claimed that Halliburton had done a poor job cementing, a process that is supposed to fill the gaps around the casing with cement to prevent leaks of oil and gas, probably causing the spill. On 24 November 2010, Australian Resources and Energy Minister Martin Ferguson released the Report