Oil pollution has been a major environmental concern since the 1920s. The search for a solution has ranged from prevention to partial measures coupled with compensation and remedial action. This book, originally published in 1987, offers a different assessment of the efforts of governments and the oil and maritime industries. It was also the first book to provide a comprehensive story of control policies and practices, using primary and secondary sources. The book identified numerous factor – personalities, state policies, developments in the oil and shipping industries, public agitation and scientific studies in a framework useful for analysing any environmental problem.