BREAKING NEWS - Survivors of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

BREAKING NEWS

National environmental organizations join victims to oppose Exxon-Mobil merger

American Oceans Campaign * Center for Marine Conservation * Defenders of Wildlife * Environmental Defense Fund * Friends of the Earth * Izaak Walton League * National Parks and Conservation Association * Native American Rights Fund * Natural Resources Defense Council

Exxon must pay
Statement by conservation groups about tenth anniversary of Exxon Valdez oil spill
February 10, 1999

We are approaching the tenth anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. On March 23, 1989, Good Friday, one of Exxon's largest tankers, under the command of a captain who had been drinking and had abandoned the bridge, struck Bligh Reef and spilled 11 million gallons of North Slope crude oil into Prince William Sound, Alaska. Time magazine has called the Exxon Valdez oil spill "one of the worst environmental disasters of the century. "

The effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill on the environment of Prince William Sound, and on the sea life in the Sound remain profound. As we have heard today, the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council recognizes ongoing effects of the spill on numerous bird species; fish, notably herring and lingering effects on salmon; marine mammals including sea otters and harbor seals; and beaches, many of which still contain oily mousse. Some scientists are even more pessimistic about the Sound's environment. The Seattle Times this past fall quoted federal researchers as saying that, "long lasting hydrocarbon components of the crude oil will cause chronic harm to successive salmon generations." National Marine Fisheries Service scientist Jeffery Short stated "buried oil pockets [in beaches] are sort of like land mines," ready to go off.

The human impact of the spill continues to be felt in fishing communities and Native villages throughout Prince William Sound. Researchers have identified severe social disruption among people most directly affected by the spill -- more conflicts, more drinking problems, more drug problems, more fighting and violence. Native communities are still struggling to reestablish their subsistence way of life.

Exxon Corporation has shown little remorse for the damage caused by its conduct. In September 1994 an Alaska jury found Exxon liable for punitive damages for its conduct in causing the oil spill, and assessed $5 billion against the company, on behalf of the commercial fishermen, Alaska Natives, and others directly harmed by the spill. At trial, Lee Raymond, Exxon's CEO testified concerning the punishment that was appropriate for the company, stating "It's not my decision to make, it's the jury's decision to make." However, in the nearly 5 years since the jury's verdict, Exxon has not paid a penny of these damages, deploying an army of lawyers to use the appeals process to draw out and delay any payment. Exxon's unwillingness to own up to its conduct, and pay the punitive damages awarded against it by a jury of Alaska citizens, demonstrates Exxon's lack of remorse for its conduct.

Now is a particularly appropriate time to review Exxon's conduct in causing the Exxon Valdez oil spill, and in the company's continuing denial of liability for it actions. Exxon is seeking regulatory approval to merge with Mobil Oil, creating the world's largest private economic enterprise. Regulators should scrutinize Exxon's conduct in regard to the Exxon Valdez in the 10 years since oil spill and require settlement of all outstanding judgments stemming from the spill prior to approval of any Exxon/Mobil merger.

A new millennium demands a new commitment by corporations to act responsibility toward the environment and the human beings affected by their operations. A merged Exxon/Mobil would be the most powerful private economic force on the planet. Such a lofty position of power requires a level of social responsibility to people and environments injured by corporate misconduct that Exxon Corporation has yet to show.

Before the Exxon Valdez oil spill, Exxon and other multi-national corporations promised the American people there could never be a spill. On the ten year anniversary of our nation's worst environmental disaster, these same developers are making similar promises about their desire to drill for oil in the biological heart of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge -- its 1.5 million acre coastal plain. The U.S. Interior Department warns development of the coastal plain could lead to major declines in wildlife populations and forever alter the fragile tundra landscape.

Next: Members of Congress oppose Exxon-Mobil merger based on Exxon's ongoing spill misconduct