In 1983 , Evans was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to serve as chairman of the Marine Mammal Commission for two years , and his term was extended until 1986 . In 1986 , he became the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ) where he negotiated several global environmental and fisheries agreements . In 1988 was appointed the first Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere ( NOAA ) , previously that position had been known as the Administrator of NOAA . That same year he was appointed as the U.S. commissioner to the International Whaling Commission . It was during his time at NOAA that the Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred and because the Secretary of Commerce had to recuse himself , Evans became acting Secretary for all issues dealing with the Valdez . It was the change in the nature of his job from one of science to legal and cleanup efforts that led him to retire from NOAA in late 1989
Exxon Valdez oil spill
Exxon Valdez oil spill
William Eugene Evans