In the wake of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill , Treadwell left Yukon and went to Cordova , Alaska , to serve as the city 's director of spill response . Cordova was badly impacted by the spill , which severely affected the area 's fishing industry and disrupted the general ecology of the area . A September 1990 article in the '' Spartanburg Herald-Journal '' praised the cleanup efforts , saying that they had come along " quite well " . Treadwell expressed optimism about the ecological rebound , cautioning that , while over half of beaches appeared normal and the quantity of commercial fish catches was exceptionally strong , the long-term effects of the spill would not be apparent for " years to come " . In a 2006 piece on National Public Radio , Treadwell stated that some harmful effects of the oil spill have persisted
Exxon Valdez oil spill
Exxon Valdez oil spill
Mead Treadwell