Exxon Valdez case goes before Supreme Court

[Lone_Star_Dem]

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court is considering whether to prevent victims of the Exxon Valdez disaster from collecting a $2.5 billion judgment, nearly 19 years after the tanker dumped 11 million gallons of oil into Alaska waters.

In the case being argued today, Exxon Mobil Corp. wants the court to erase the award of punitive damages to nearly 33,000 commercial fishermen, Native Alaskans, landowners, businesses and local governments.

The 987-foot tanker, commanded by its captain, Joseph Hazelwood, missed a turn and ran aground on a reef in Prince William Sound, causing the worst oil spill in U.S. history.

Two brothers from Cordova, Alaska, were in line in front of the Supreme Court this morning, waiting to watch the arguments inside.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/5574288.html

[gasperc]

1. hmm... that was quick

[RaleighNCDUer]

6. I can't believe it took 19 years

for them to get enough oil company lawyers on the bench of the SC to get a favorable ruling.

[ReformedChris]

2. PLEASE hold them responsible! The people in Alaska deserve this financial settlement..

The Exxon People paid an enormous sum to "try" to clean up the spill. Now it is time for them to pay up to the people that sufferred under their poor management. The spill is still reaking havoc on the ecosystem and the people there have lost so much. We can only hope the Supremes side with common sense and justice. But it will probably be a split decision in favor of the evil that is Exxon Mobil.

[comtec]

3. With THIS court....

I have doubts JUSTICE will be served until one or more of the RWers dies or is impeached, and I don't care which.

[Lorien]

11. No doubt about that. n/t

[slackmaster]

4. Meanwhile, victims are dying of old age

:argh:

[JPZenger]

5. Real Injustices

A commentator was explaining some of the injustices on Thom Hartman's program yesterday.

He said that the Exxon Valdez was not using its radar at the time, because they were trying to save money on having trained operators. He said that no tanker was supposed to be in the channel unless a ship was available with oil containment equipment. That ship was up on land, with its equipment unloaded. He said that they were required to have containment equipment on an island in the channel, but it wasn't there.

A movie showed how Exxon was more interested in public relations than wildlife. They decided to hire people to wash off the rocks with high pressure hoses with hot water. On video, that made it look like the oil was being cleaned off the rocks. Actually, the heat was killing any wildlife and aquatic life that survived the oil. Also, the heat was turning the oil into vapor, which was causing serious health problems among the workers as they inhaled it.

Exxon for 20 years has avoided paying one penny of punitive damages. In comparison, ltwo years ago, their CEO made over $300 million when he retired. The buck should stop here.

[JPZenger]

7. Fact Sheet from Persons Harmed by Oil Spill

http://www.wholetruth.net/downloads/WholeTruth_FactSheet.doc

The above is a fact sheet prepared by persons harmed by the oil spill. It took about 30 seconds to download on a high speed connection, but it is worth it.

Here's some excerpts:

"The “clean up” effort

• For the first three days there was no real response and the equipment that did arrive was inadequate to contain the spill.
• Exxon eventually began a clean up effort but the oil had already spread too far and was beyond containment.
• One of the first responders recalled, “We knew the clean up was a charade given the equipment we had to work with. We knew the tanks were empty and the oil was gone.”
• The clean up effort eventually became a way to avoid a public relations nightmare. In fact Exxon’s representative explained in a taped conversation: “I don’t care so much whether working or not but … needs to be something out there that looks like an effort is being made…” He went on to state: “I don’t care if it picks up two gallons a week. Get that shit out there… and…standing around where people can see it.”
• A congressional report determined that Exxon’s response was “wholly inadequate.”
• Only 14 percent of the oil was reclaimed.

The Aftermath

• With the fear of oil contamination the State of Alaska was forced to close the fishery for the 1989 season.
• The following years were met by reduced harvests and depressed fish prices
• 1,300 miles of private shoreline was damaged some of which remains oiled today
• The spill destroyed many of the subsistence activities of Natives in the area.
• The economy of the region was crippled, the effects of which are still felt today."

[ladywnch]

9. I'd like to know how much Exxon got from their insurance company for the

loss of the tanker and the oil it was carrying. Seems to me that money should have gone directly to the victims. Exxon wasn't hurt by this. they recovered their losses.

I was living up there when this happened and provided audio services to the hearings after the fact. Exxon didn't have many answers for their actions/inactions.

[JPZenger]

15. Oil prices went up, Exxon made more cash

I heard one commentator explain how Exxon made profits from the disaster. When the Exxon Valdez crashed (with the only person certified to operate the ship through that channel being drunk and passed out), it stopped all oil shipments. That made oil prices go up, which allowed Exxon to profit off its oil from other locations.

[Thothmes]

25. If I remember correctly

Exxon did not lose the ship. It was repaired and carried cargo for Exxon for many more years.

[ORDagnabbit]

8. my prediction.... they get the medal of freedom and more tax rebates. n/t

[acmavm]

10. Poor EXXON, can't afford to pay for their destruction. Gotta give

the money to those poor fat CEOs. You know, those half a billion dollar retirement packages.

<snip>


Lee Raymond's retirement package -- worth nearly $400 million -- is one of the largest in history. (ABC News)

Oil: Exxon Chairman's $400 Million Parachute
Exxon Made Record Profits in 2005

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=1841989&page=1

[Lorien]

12. How many BILLIONS in profit did they make last quarter?

It's about time that they paid up!

[JPZenger]

16. Exxon CEO Made $400 Million in 2005

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2006/apr2006/exxn-a15.shtml

When he retired in 2005, the CEO of Exxon, Lee Raymond, made a measely $400 million. You can't expect them to have any spare cash for some poor fishermen who don't even belong to a single country club.

[classysassy]

13. The supremo's

the other crime family.

[Turbineguy]

14. The Exxon Valdez

Lee Raymond did not get his $400 million because of the spill.

Exxon does not have earnings today because they spilled the oil in 1989.

The standard for being "drunk" on board a vessel is a blood alcohol level of over 0.04%. One beer can put you over.

The Radar was working, bridge watch officers by virtue of the fact they are licensed, are qualified radar operators.

The Coast Guard was not monitoring the ice bergs or the vessel. The Pilot had already left the vessel.

The grounding was an accident. There was no way there could have been an adequate response to the spill of that magnitude.

This case has dragged on far too long.

[Nihil]

26. I think we can guess where you work

> Lee Raymond did not get his $400 million because of the spill.

Nor did he lose any of it because of the spill.
Nor did any of the board lose money because of it.

> Exxon does not have earnings today because they spilled the oil in 1989.

Correct. Exxon had huge profits that year and practically every one since.

> The standard for being "drunk" on board a vessel is a blood alcohol level
> of over 0.04%. One beer can put you over.

So, don't drink even one beer when you are on duty.

> The Radar was working, bridge watch officers by virtue of the fact they
> are licensed, are qualified radar operators.

Even less excuse for f*cking up then.

> The grounding was an accident.

I am not aware of anyone claiming it was a deliberate operation.
On the other hand, it *was* an avoidable "accident" (i.e., it was
*not* due to factors beyond the control of either the company or
the crew).

> There was no way there could have been an adequate response to the spill
> of that magnitude.

Exxon had assured all parties that not only were there suitable facilities
to manage any size spill (there weren't) but that they were always available
(they weren't) and that they were swiftly brought into action when needed
(they weren't).

> This case has dragged on far too long.

Finally, you said something I can agree with!

[Haole Girl]

17. Let's see....

Can Exxon afford it? Yep, I think so.

But will they pay it? I doubt it.

Exxon, the world's largest oil company not run by a state, fourth-quarter net income rose nearly 14 percent to $11.66 billion, or $2.13 a share...

http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2008/02/01/exxon_earnings_soar_on_record_oil_prices_1201873430/

[Soodonim]

18. Just because they can afford it

doesn't mean they should have to pay it. Multinational oil companies deserve justice too.

[Haole Girl]

19. Justice?

Has Exxon even double-hulled their ships, as they agreed to in the original settlement?

Why don't you go look up the answer. I already know how slow this justice has been.

[Soodonim]

20. And maybe...

I was being sarcastic.

[Haole Girl]

21. Well, with only 1 post, I guess I don't know your track record!

:rofl:

[Soodonim]

22. Sorry, let me introduce myself...

pretty much everything I say will be a strawman of the repukes.

[Haole Girl]

23. Welcome to DU

:hi:

[pinniped]

24. These greedy fucks posted the largest annual profit of a US company (40.6 billion),....

and still whine like little !@#$%^&.

Since I don't have any faith in this shitty corrupt court system, I think this award will be cut in half again or eliminated entirely.

I heard a quote from one of the Exxon asshole lawyers earlier. He spouted some crap like "we didn't have anything to gain by this," or some garbage like that.

Ya, I believe him.

Hey, personal responsibility. Pay the fuck up.