The Tanker on the Reef

A large oil tanker ran aground on a reef in a coastal sound, tearing open its hull. About 11 million gallons of crude oil spilled into the sea. The oil spread along more than 700 miles of shoreline and killed more than 36,000 migratory birds, including bald eagles, and other wildlife. The oil company and its shipping subsidiary were charged with federal environmental crimes: polluting the water, dumping refuse into navigable waters, and killing migratory birds. The charges are misdemeanours. The government does not have to prove the companies intended the spill.