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U.S. GOVERNMENT 1: Politics and Government 1

Eighteen years after the most devastating oil spill in U.S. history, ExxonMobil still has not paid the punitive damages owed to the victims of the Exxon Valdez oil spill and is operating the largest, most dangerous oil tanker in the area -- the Exxon Valdez sister ship, Sea River Long Beach.

"Punitive damages are meant to deter reckless behavior," said Shawnee Hoover, campaign director of Exxpose Exxon. "If ExxonMobil finally paid the damages it might think twice about risking another devastating oil spill in the area."

ExxonMobil is the only oil company in the Alaskan spill area of Prince William Sound still operating a single-hulled oil tanker.

"It says a lot about ExxonMobil's character that it continues to fight the victims in court and operate the same type of dangerous tanker, when they banked nearly $40 billion in profits last year," said Zack Brown of U.S. Public Interest Research Group.

Since 1994, ExxonMobil has appealed every court ruling to pay punitive damages to the more than 30,000 spill victims. During this time, 6,000 plaintiffs have died without compensation. When ExxonMobil was ordered to pay $2.5 billion in 2006, it again asked the court to reconsider.

ExxonMobil claims that Prince William Sound has recovered and is "healthy, robust and thriving." The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council reports that the multi-million dollar herring industry, which once supported thousands of lives and livelihoods, remains closed indefinitely.

"Exxon manipulates the science around the recovery of the spill area just as it manipulates the science around global warming," said Shawnee Hoover.

"On both accounts Exxon pays for the science it wants to see. Just as with global warming, Exxon-funded scientists are the only ones saying there's no problem," added Hoover.

"Even after eighteen years, there's still no effective way to clean up oil spills," said Myke Bybee of the Sierra Club. "Exxon Valdez is the quintessential example of why we want Exxon and the government to invest in renewable energy instead of drilling our sensitive areas."

Tomorrow the plaintiffs will unveil a seven-foot tall wooden Exxon Ridicule Pole in Cordova, Alaska. The special totem pole is a native Alaskan tradition meant to force a person of high standing to pay a debt or obligation.

Article courtesy of USNewswire.com
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