1990

Spurred by the events in this timeline, Congress passed the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA '90) to further refine and enhance U.S. spill prevention and response capabilities. Since passage of OPA '90:

• Federal agencies have issued 41 new rules regarding pollution prevention, preparedness and response.
• The petroleum industry has spent over $17 billion to ensure compliance with the new regulations.
• By 2015, all tankers operating in U.S. waters will feature double hulls. This design protects oil cargo, contained within the inner hull, in the event of a breach in the outer hull.