Chernobyl
On April 26, 1986, a nuclear reactor caused a horrific explosion at the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl, Ukraine, releasing radiation 400 times more powerful than that of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Thousands of birth defects and cancer deaths have been linked to the disaster; radiation levels at the site remain high to this day.
Exxon Oil Spill
On March 24, 1989, between 260,000 and 750,000 barrels of crude oil was spilled into the ocean after the Exxon Valdez oil tanker crashed into Bligh reef. Researchers have dubbed the event one of the most destructive manmade disasters in history. Hundreds of thousands of animals died, including seabirds, otters, seals, bald eagles, orcas, and fish.