Infographic: 10 Years After Delaware River Oil Spill

Ten years ago, there was an oil spill that you've probably never heard of. Just outside of Philadelphia on November 26, 2004, an oil tanker called the Athos I unknowingly ripped its hull on an 18,000 pound anchor hidden on the river bottom. This released more than 263,000 gallons of heavy oil into an industrialized stretch of the Delaware River. Take a quick look at the aftermath of this little-known oil spill, which ultimately fostered several significant changes to address future oil spill accidents across the nation. Learn more at response.restoration.noaa.gov/athos.

Infographic of Athos I oil spill with ship, facts about the spill's impacts, and map of restoration projects. Ship hit submerged anchor weighting 18,000 pounds. More than 11,500 birds killed. River closed to commercial traffic. Nuclear plant shut down at cost of $33 million. Shorelines oiled in three states. $27.5 million received for restoration in September 2010. Five out of 10 restoration projects implemented.
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Last updated Friday, January 26, 2018 9:25am PST