Next month marks 18 years since the Exxon Valdez oil tanker ran aground on the Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, producing environmental destruction of massive proportions — the largest such man-made event in U.S. history. The oil covered more than 1,200 miles of beach, killed countless sea mammals, birds, fish and invertebrates, and adversely affected the fishing and recreation industries.
This week a study by research chemist Jeffrey Short of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will be published in the American Chemical Society’s journal, Environmental Science & Technology. Short’s results show that the spill has left toxins embedded in the sediment of Prince William Sound. “What’s left is going to be there a long time,” he said.
According to the Associated Press, Exxon estimates that it has spent $3 billion toward cleanup efforts, settlements, fines and compensation, “but still has not paid an unresolved punitive damage judgment, originally set for $5 billion by a federal jury in 1994.” Thousands of fishermen and others whose livelihoods were affected by the spill are still waiting for compensation from the oil giant.
Posted by Patrice Hein
NOTE: Patrice is a WSU graduate student and our new editorial department intern. We hope to have her photo and bio posted soon in the left rail. — Phillip Brownlee
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24 Comments
Clean up effort? Washing the oil under the rocks doesn’t exactly clean the oil. Dig under a few rocks and the oil is still there.
There is no easy way to clean up a mess like this. Fortunately oil is biodegradable but the process is painfully slow. It would seem that a better approach might be to find ways to accelerate biodegradation. That has been found to work with groundwater; however the chemicals involved there are simpler than those in crude.
Obviously the best answer is to not make the mess in the first place; that is why we need tighter regulation on the shipment of hazardous cargo.
IIRC, wasn’t the captain of the Exxon Valdez found to be “well oiled” himself when this tragedy occurred?
… and the fossil fuels shills today are, um, where?
Surely they cant resist an opportunity to defend exxon in particular and the oil industry in general!
Defending the indefensible is better left to you people. As far as defending the oil companies, what is there to defend? They find it, haul it, refine it, market it, distribute it and pay taxes on it. A gallon of gas for $1.66. Not bad.
You should worry more about washing the filth out of the City Attorney and District Attorney’s offices instead of babbling about some irrelevant 18 year old event.
Yet another leftist kookburger on The Eagle’s staff.
PS, how old is that photo? Are you implying that you just took it?
Oh well, SOS, guess I’ll go outside and experience the global warming that’s expected this afternoon.
Ah instead of addressing the major freaking disaster the oil companies claiming to be all pro-enviro, you come back with ’so what’?
And Foulston is doing a FINE job thank you.
Don’t you have a baby to kill somewhere, PM? You’re right, Nola is one of the finest shysters money can buy, but I’m already well aware that liberalism and corruption are synonymous, so I don’t need you to reinforce my message.
Gentle Ben – I think the problem is that you need more fiber in your diet to get “things” moving!
hee hee hee gster
Angry Ben forgot his morning medications. When he starts calling people he doesn’t know “kookburgers”, it’s a dead give-away.
“liberalism and corruption are synonymous”
Does the name Abramoff ring a bell?
“A gallon of gas for $1.66. Not bad.”
And you found that where?
When the price here dropped to $1.99 a few weeks ago, didn’t we hear that it would continue? Instead, it jumped over 20 cents overnight, and the price is again trickling down, but still hasn’t reached that $1.99 again.
Yeah RD!
“liberalism and corruption are synonymous”
I guess that is why voters last november said that republican corruption was one of their main reasons for voting democrats into majorities in both the house and senate.
But you know, cons and facts and all. Yadda yadda yadda
Frmgirl: I’m not defending Exxon, at all. It just seems to me that a real good place to start making sure we don’t have another event like this would be to make the captain wasn’t plastered. And, I think they have.
Point taken RM. I really meant defend our addiction to fossil fuels and bad alternatives. Even I agree with fleetie that most of exxons actions are morally indefensible.
Saw an excellent hour piece on tv last night about what happens when the oil runs out. Very dire consequences if we do not wean ourselves, and the rest of the world for that matter, off oil.
They were talking of oil prices approaching $160 a barrel, gas prices near $20 or more a gallon, if available and civil unrest on a massive scale. It reminded me of silent spring, and the warnings it made. Maybe a bit fatalistic, but some disturbing truths in the mix.
BDP fleet,
“Defending the indefensible is better left to you people.”
Speaking of “indefensible”, the U.S. Army studied the Trans Alaska Pipeline, and said IT was indefensible.
A drunk even shut it down with a hunting rifle a month after 9-11, during heightened security. 285,600 gallons of oil jetted out, covering about 2 acres. Some photos,http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/1584553.stm
Not to mention damage caused by a bomb, and sabotage. Plus at least one other foiled bomb plot.
A mid-winter shutdown could congeal the heated oil, and the pipeline would be unable to restart until the summer.
But repugs like BDP fleet think that the pipeline, and tankers leaving Prince William Sound, are a SECURE, RELIABLE domestic source.
Dear RD,
I think Woody suckered you in. I paid $1.59 a gallon for gas several times last month.
Don’t tink I’ve paid more than $1.80 this year! Like Fleety I think the price of gasoline is one of the best deals going today. Can’t remember the last time I couldn’t get it when I wanted it.
Hank
PS, Forgot to mention that in Kansas we are paying around $.40 a gallon in state and federal taxes on every gallon of gas.
rm, et.al. – We were told when the pipeline went in that they would use only double-hulled tankers. The Valdez was single-hull.
fleet, Hank, et al,
What you pay at the pump is NOT the total price of gasoline.
There are MANY “HIDDEN COSTS” — military, subsidies to oil companies, loss of jobs, ecconomic penalties, etc.
2003 NDCF report, “hidden costs” add $5.28 per gallon.http://www.iags.org/n1030034.htm
2006 update, add $8.35 per gallon.http://ndcf.homeip.net/ndcf/energy/NDCF_Hidden_Cost_2006_summary_paper.pdf
Outdated 2002 estimate,http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/200203/lol4.asp“Environmental, health, and social costs: $12.00 [added per gallon]”
MTBE pollution, cleanup, etc?Not to mention what the Valdez did to the fishing industry in Prince William Sound.
Whenever you buy gas, realize that you’re paying MUCH more than the pump price.
Cranky Ben?
If you have nothing of value to add to a thread? Don’t post!
Seriously fella, you should consider banging your head repeatedly on your driveway. It might lighten you up!
I am REALLY embarrassed for us all that our new intern was not welcomed and barely even mentioned by any of us!
Welcome Patrice!
Forgive the manners of my fellow posters.
If this thread is an indication, you will be much better than the last intern.
It was fate that I was in San Diego the summer after this disaster. I SAW the Exxon Valdez. That was in August. It still had an oil boom around it. The tour director quite rightly called it “the Darth Vader of the ocean sea”.
Well, what about those record profits Exxon is making lately? SOMEONE should be pushing Exxon to clean up its PR and Prince William sound. The word I have in mind starts with a b and ends with a lousy bottom line next quarter.
Captain Hazelwood was a convicted drunk driver, had been seen that night in the town of Valdez putting back three or more cocktails, and had alcohol in his blood when tested the next morning. These are facts that have been accepted by all parties involved.
Exxon has appealed for 18 years the punitive and compensatory damages meted out by a jury against them to reimburse the fishermen. Their time is coming, but it is sad to see Exxon continuing to avoid its responsibilities while the fishermen’s lives remain impacted. Many are dying of old age, and that is a tragedy.