In 1989, an oil tanker known as the Exxon Valdez struck a reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska, and spilled 11 million gallons of crude oil into the ocean. This event is an example of

The Exxon Valdez spill released 11 million gallons of crude oil, a harmful chemical substance, into the ocean. A disaster involving the release of hazardous chemicals is a chemical disaster, so the correct choice is “a chemical disaster.”

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