On March 24, 1989 the Exxon Valdez ran aground on Bligh Reef. The oil tanker was carrying over 53 million gallons of oil. It spilled about 11.3 million gallons of crude oil into the waters of Prince William Sound. The oil polluted over 1,200 miles of coastline. The Exxon Valdez Oil spill was one of the largest oil spills in American history. The spill killed thousands of animals. In 1990 the United States filed criminal charges. Exxon Valdez paid about $1,025,000,000 in fines and pleaded guilty for four misdemeanor charges.