So it seems the latest craze these days is how everyone can help protect our natural resources. From recycling certain waste, to buying earth-friendly cleaning chemicals and even hybrid cars, learning how we can protect our earth is becoming more and more important.

But while we have the ability to control how we ourselves treat the environment, did you know that there is a government agency that polices how we treat our greatest resource, our water? The EPA or Environmental Protection Agency, in 1990 created the Oil Pollution Act. Coming up on celebrating its 20th year in existence, the OPA has been monumental in the nation’s ability to prevent and respond to oil spills. The OPA was developed in response to the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989, when the tanker struck a reef in Alaska, spilling more than 11 million gallons of crude oil. This spill was the largest in U.S. history.

Now, one of Australia’s most scenic sites is in great danger due to the same circumstances. A coal-carrying ship that strayed outside a shipping lane and ran aground in protected waters is leaking oil onto the Great Barrier Reef. To read more about the endangerment of the Great Barrier Reef, go here. Authorities fear an oil spill will damage the world’s largest coral reef, which is off northeast Australia and listed as a World Heritage site.

While this is a long clean up process, one that the Reef may have to endure for years to come, the first line of spill response would be to use containment booms.

We can do our part as consumers to protect the life of our resources, but it is just as important that we have government agencies policing our resources as well.

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