2015 Event Oil spill cleanup continues at Refugio State Beach in California after a pipeline burst two days ago; about 21,000 gallons of oil have been released into the ocean and 105,000 gallons on land 2011 Event The oil spill from MV Rena, the ship stranded off the coast of Tauranga, New Zealand, becomes the country's worst environmental disaster 2011 Event Off the coast of Tauranga, New Zealand, the MV Rena container ship runs aground, causing a large oil spill and affecting wildlife in the Bay of Plenty 2010 Event BP claims that if the ban on offshore drilling permits continues, it may not be able to pay compensation for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill 2010 Event The U.S. Government estimates the Deepwater Horizon oil spill dumped nearly 5 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico 2010 Event In volume, BP's Deepwater Horizon oil spill has overtaken Ixtoc I to become the worst oceanic oil spill in U.S. recorded history 2010 Event BP CEO Tony Hayward testifies before the U.S. about the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster at the Deepwater Horizon rig that has caused the worst oil spill in U.S. history 2010 Event The Gulf of Mexico oil spill threatens sensitive marshes and wildlife along the Gulf Coast; Admiral Thad Allan is appointed to lead the Federal response to the spill 2010 Event The Deepwater Horizon oil spill reaches the Louisiana Coast; weather is projected to impede cleanup efforts 1991 Event Exxon pays $1-billion dollars in fines and cleanup of Valdez oil spill 1991 Event World's largest oil spill, caused by embattled Iraqi forces in Kuwait 1990 Event Former Exxon Valdez Captain Joseph Hazelwood ordered to help clean up Prince William Sound and pay $50,000 in restitution for 1989 oil spill 1990 Event Anchorage jury finds Captain Hazelwood innocent of Valdez oil spill 1990 Event Exxon Valdez Captain Joseph Hazelwood goes on trial due to oil spill 1989 Event Worst U.S. oil spill, Exxon's Valdez spills 11.3 mil gallons off Alaska 1980 Event Oil tanker explosion off Pilos, Greece, causes 37-million-gallon spill 1979 Event Tanker Burmah Agate off Galveston Bay, Texas, spills 10.7 m gallons of oil, in US's worst oil spill disaster 1979 Event 2 supertankers collide off Tobago - 260,000 TONS of oil spill 1972 Event Chemical spill with fog sickens hundreds in Meuse Valley Belgium
