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):
Prudhoe Bay oil spill 6 inch layer of chunks of live, frozen tundra that were taken from a donor site and transplanted to the spill site Government environmental officials said it could take up to a decade for the tundra vegetation to return to normal. BP decommissioned the entire 34-inch transit line and replaced it with a 20-inch line, containing pig launch and recovery sites. The Alaska oil spill had a major impact on BP as it was a loss to its image as well as a financial loss. On March 15, the U.S. Transportation Department ordered BP to test its three low-pressure lines