Exxon's Crime Against Alaskans

In 1989 the Exxon Valdez Oil Tanker ran aground spillling 30 million of gallons of crude oil into Alaska's Prince William Sound. Everyone knows that, but did you know that 30,000 Alaskan Fishermen and Native Tribes won a $5 Billion lawsuit against Exxon in 1994?

As of this writing, 2/23/06, Exxon still has not paid a dime to those most affected by the spill. Thousands of Alaskans experienced severe financial hardship- how many families were broken up due to the financial & emotional stress caused by Exxon?

Even while Exxon was paying teams of lawyers hundreds of millions to fight the lawsuit, they were 'earning' $800,000/yr in interest on the $5 Billion. And their profits kept going up and up. Some even suggest that the $5 Billion could have been used in the stock market run-up and tank of the 90's - there's no proof of that yet, but it seems entirely plausible considering the insatiable greed exhibited by these crooks in suits.

In 1989, Exxon's net profits were $3.5 Billion... by 2005 (largely thanks to the Iraq War), Exxon's profits were up to $36 Billion- And still the greedy executives at Exxon suggest that the maximum penalty for Alaskan Fishermen and Tribes ought to be $25 million!!!

... And if that's not bad enough, check out this investigative report by Greg Palast- Exxon knew of the faulty radar, but did not install new equipment because it was too spendy! Cost-cutting directly caused the accident, the Drunk Captain Hazelwood story merely deflected from Exxon's CRIMINAL Negligence.

The official story is, "Drunken Skipper Hits Reef." Don't believe it:

This story remains untold: the true cause of the Exxon Valdez catastrophe was the oil giants' breaking their promises to the Natives and Congress, cynically and disastrously, in the fifteen years leading up to the spill. As to Captain Joe Hazelwood, he was below decks, sleeping off his bender. At the helm, the third mate would never have collided with Bligh Reef had he looked at his Raycas radar. But the radar was not turned on. In fact, the tanker's radar was left broken and disasbled for more than a year before the disaster, and Exxon management knew it. It was just too expensive to fix and operate.

Call me crazy, but I think the actions of Exxon in this case are criminal. IMHO, they ought to pay even more than the original jury's decision of $5 Billion. Why is it ok for them to destroy the ecosystem and with it the livelihood of thousands, then drag the case out in court for a dozen years? Those families have been struggling with Exxon's disaster while Exxon has gone on to reap record profits. This is disgusting, and Exxon's Executives and Board of Directors ought to personally pay for this inhuman greed. Not just Billions from the company and stockholders, but also the personal wealth of those behind the decisions to deliberatly stall and screw over thousands of American Citizens. If the gov't cannot hold corporations accountable for such actions, then the gov't has failed it's people.

For more information about the spill and it's lasting effects, check out the Survivors of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill website.

What has Don Young done about this case? I don't know, but I'd love for some Alaskans to inform me, post away below