The term VALDEZ SPILL refers to the 1989 OIL spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska. The spill was caused by the Exxon Valdez tanker, which ran aground and released an estimated 11 million gallons of crude OIL into the water. The spill had a devastating effect on the environment, killing hundreds of thousands of birds, fish, and other wildlife. The solution to the crossword for the term VALDEZ SPILL is OIL, which is a three-letter word.