SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine (AP) The Coast Guard says more than 1,000 people will participate in an oil spill exercise next year off the coast of Maine.

Tuesday’s announcement by the Coast Guard in South Portland came on the 20th anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska.

The so-called “Spill of National Significance” drill came about after the Valdez tragedy. The spill sent 11 million gallons of crude into Prince William Sound, killing hundreds of thousands of birds and other marine animals.

Coast Guard Lt. Lauren Trocchio says next year’s exercise in Portland will nail down strengths and weaknesses in responding to an oil or chemical spill. Portland is the second-largest oil port on the East Coast.