And while there can be no guarantee that a disastrous spill will not happen again, steps undertaken since the accident have, it is widely agreed, made shipping here less prone to a recurrence.

The vote was a setback for environmentalists fearful that additional tanker traffic in the Santa Barbara Channel could lead to a disastrous spill.

Only the fact that the banisters had been installed on those flights saved them from disastrous spills into the central well.

With some public opinion polls showing a renewal of good feelings toward the oil industry as memories of last spring's disastrous spill fade, the oil companies have aggressively joined the fight for the trust of Alaskans.

In an effort to avoid stumbling unprepared into another disastrous spill, Ken Salazar is putting all Arctic drilling plans on hold until at least next year.

E.P.A. officials in Washington and petroleum industry executives said the law should be changed to free up more money and allow it to be used to detect fuel-tank problems before they erupt into disastrous spills.

The oil and gas industry says its operations in the gulf, which have been carried out without a disastrous spill over half a century, should reassure those concerned about new drilling in the eastern gulf.

At first, officials said they were not concerned that the tanker would sink, resulting in a disastrous spill, but the five explosions between 12:05 and 12:15 this afternoon changed their thinking.

He had picked up something after their disastrous spill in the Hudson.

Industry officials noted that their operations elsewhere in the gulf had been carried out for over half a century without a disastrous spill.