The 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill was a watershed moment in U.S. environmental history and changed the way we consider and deal with oil and chemical spills in this country. It also thrust a little-known federal agency, what was known at the time as OR&R's Hazardous Materials Response Branch, into the public eye as the group providing scientific guidance for the oil spill cleanup. The movie reviews the initial stages of the oil spill, shows how it changed U.S. laws and regulations, and identifies challenges for the future as it asks the questions: What does the twentieth anniversary of the spill mean, and what have we learned?

Acknowledgement

Hindsight and Foresight was written and directed by marine biologist, Gary Shigenaka, of OR&R's Emergency Response Division (formerly the Hazardous Materials Response Branch). The movie received two awards: a bronze Telly Award and Honorable Mention at the Blue Ocean Film Festival in Savannah, Georgia. It was also selected as a featured film at the Paris International Environmental Film Festival.