Twenty three years ago on March 24, 1989, the Exxon Valdez, an oil tanker carrying 53 million gallons of crude oil, slammed into a reef in Prince William Sound causing one of the worst environmental disasters ever.
It's estimated the tanker spilled somewhere between 260,000 and 750,000 barrels of crude oil.
Cleaning up after the spill was extremely difficult because of the area's remote location and habitat.
The oil spill devastated the fishing industry and environment of Prince William Sound.
Scott Pegau operates research programs for the Oil Spill Recovery Institute in Cordova.
He says herring, otters, sea ducks and a killer whale pod are still impacted by the spill.
Stan Jones a spokesman for Prince William Sound Regional Citizens' Advisory Council says 23 years later there have been improvements in the vessels that go through Prince William Sound,
"So there are some big differences between now and then.The Exxon Valdez had a single hull and the tankers today have double hulls. The Coast Guard estimated that the spill could have been 60 percent smaller with a double hull so that's a good thing."
On Friday, Hong Kong-based Best Oasis Ltd. confirmed Friday it bought the ship for an undisclosed amount.
The ship will now head to a shipyard alongIndia's Gulf of Cambay.
When Jones heard about the sale he had two words "Good Riddance."
