AS TANKERS AND pipelines move more oil around the world, the potential for disastrous oil spills increases. Most scientists believe that the future emphasis should be on prevention of oil spills. According to the EPA, "We can best avoid the environmental and economic effects of oil spills by preventing and containing them in the first place."

After the Exxon Valdez disaster, many people felt that oil companies were not really prepared to handle a large oil disaster. They felt that petroleum companies should be better prepared and ready to respond immediately to any oilspill emergency. Shortly after the Exxon Valdez oil spill, fourteen oil companies responded to public pressure by agreeing to set up five different centers, each located in a different region of the United States. The purpose of these centers was twofold: to train personnel and to have...