The growing significance of organizations as actors in modern
urban communities is by now a well known fact. As Turk (1970)
suggests, modern society can be viewed as an aggregate of
organizations which appear, disappear, change, merge, and form
networks of relations with each other. This perspective provides
a useful tool for understanding how society responds to, and deals
with, environmental issues such as marine oil spills. Indeed, mass
responses to a broader setting are both formulated and enacted by
organizations. Agencies, however, do not always coordinate and communicate to the extent necessary for the successful completion
of their responsibilities. Unfortunately, it often takes a
catastrophic event to call this issue into question. For example,
on March 24, 1989 the Exxon Valdez ran aground on Bligh Reef
spilling eleven million gallons of oil into Alaska's Prince William
Sound. Because of this event, the nation's concern for oil spills
has dramatically increased. One manifestation of this increased
awareness was the creation of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990
fOPA'90). A component of this legislation includes the
augmentation of oil spill contingency planning in the nation. By
mandating a more comprehensive state of planning, it is hoped that
responders will be more effective in their response to oil spills.Seagrant College Progra
