Remember the Exxon Valdez? Some Can't Forget

Not to date myself or anything, but I was in middle school in 1989, when the Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince William Sound dumping over 10 million gallons of crude oil into the water.  I vividly remember the pictures of the oil soaked beaches and volunteers desperately trying to save otters and birds covered in the thick black oil.

But the effects from the spill have been long lasting from the devastation to the local fishing industry to the lingering ecological damage - in 2001, the Alaska Fisheries Science Center determined that "20 acres of shoreline in Prince William Sound are still contaminated with oil."

Over 30,000 victims, mostly commercial fishermen, Alaska Natives, landowners, businesses and local governments sued Exxon Mobile Corp. Five years after the spill, an Alaskan jury awarded the victims $287 million in actual damages and a record breaking $5 billion in punitive damages (Exxon's annual profit that year).  But the victims have not received any compensation. Exxon appealed (eventually the punitive damages were cut in half).

But now, almost 20 years after the disaster - without the victims yet seeing a dime - the lawsuit has made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court which promises to hand down its decision before the court recesses at the end of June   

The court will consider three very specific areas of law, including whether the company can be punished under maritime law for the actions of its ship captain, Joseph Hazelwood. Prosecutors said Hazelwood was drunk when the ship ran aground on March 24, 1989, but he denied it and was acquitted of the charge in criminal court.

The court also will consider whether punitive damages should be allowed when the company already has been punished under provisions of the federal Clean Water Act -- and if so, whether the verdict's size is allowable under the limits of maritime law.

But this decision may have lasting implications beyond bringing justice for the people of Alaska and other victims of this disaster.  More to come on that....

Comments

[AkGru]

Thanks for the great post highlighting this story. I grew up there and am a former commercial fisherman. Freshman in college at the time of the spill.

Thought this was funny:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=v4FB4RhphX0