Black Wave

Gr 10 Up—This is a commanding investigation of the impact of the March 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska, and it is especially pertinent because of the devastating 2010 spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The program features Riki Ott, a scientist who has written two books about the spill, and focuses on citizens of Cordova, Alaska, whose lives were forever changed by this environmental catastrophe. Between 11 and 38 million gallons of oil spilled into Prince William Sound and spread 1200 miles from the point of impact; more than half of the oil stayed in the Sound. Exxon, who declined to be interviewed for this documentary, did not have a cleanup plan and was slow to mobilize its efforts. Initially ordered to pay $5 billion dollars to plaintiffs, Exxon appealed the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court and had to pay only a fraction of that amount. Oil killed fish populations, poisoned wildlife, and sickened many of the people who worked the cleanup. The 99-minute version includes additional details about the building of the Alaska pipeline and the cleanup, and features more personal stories than the edited film. Classes across the curriculum can utilize this program, and it should be included in all library collections.—Patricia Ann Owens, Illinois Eastern Community Colleges, Mt. Carmel