Title: Oil Pollution Act of 1990 - WikiMili, The Best Wikipedia Reader
Headings: Oil Pollution Act of 1990
Oil Pollution Act of 1990
Oil Pollution Act of 1990
Contents
History/Background
Enactment timeline
Key Content (Titles) [1]
Enforcement
Concerns and reactions
Long-term effects of OPA
International treaties

Content: specifies damages for which violators are liable; and establishes a fund for damages, cleanup, and removal costs. This statute has resulted in instrumental changes in the oil production, transportation, and distribution industries. [ 3]
Contents
History/Background
Enactment timeline
Key Content (Titles) [1]
Enforcement
Concerns and reactions
Long-term effects of OPA
International treaties
See also
References
External links
History/Background
Heavy sheens of oil as visible on the surface of the water in Prince William Sound following the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Laws governing oil spills in the United States began in 1851 with the Limitation of Liability Act. This statue, in an attempt to protect the shipping industry, stated that vessel owners were liable for incident-related costs up to the post-incident value of their vessel. The shortcomings of this law were revealed in 1967 with the release of over 100,000 tons of crude oil into the English Channel from the Torrey Canyon. Of the $8 million of cleanup-related costs, the owners of the Torrey Canyon were held liable for only $50—the value of the only remaining Torrey Canyon lifeboat. In the meantime, the Oil Pollution Act of 1924 had passed, but this statue only limited liability for deliberate discharge of oil into marine waters. [ 4]
Two years following the Torrey Canyon spill, an oil platform eruption in the Santa Barbara Channel made national headlines and thrust oil pollution into the public spot light.