Thousands of birds and other marine animals were killed. The damage to beaches, on the mainland and at the Channel Islands, would have been, and still is difficult to calculate….
Many believe the spill and its devastating impacts gave birth to the modern day environmental movement….
Shortly thereafter, in late 1970, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was established. According to the EPA’s Web site, a string of environmental-related laws followed, including the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, Marine Protection Research and Sanctuary Act of 1972, Endangered Species Act of 1973, Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and the Environmental Quality Impact Act of 1970. The list goes on.” (click for full article)