Oil Spill, Court Case Linger

Nearly 20 years later, Alaska is still feeling the effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

From The L.A. Times:

When the Exxon Valdez spilled its oil in March 1989, the world saw images of blackened seabirds and otters and seals, of bloated whale carcasses and once-pristine beaches covered with crude. Hardly anything was said about the herring.

No one at the time understood the fish's central place in the ecosystem, nor did anyone know the herring's demise would lead to years of hardship for the people here.

(more)

Exxon Mobil has fought a $2.5 billion judgment against it all the way to the Supreme Court, which will hear the case this week. Not a very popular company in Alaska.

UPDATE: I'm trying to confirm that the picture in this post is the actual Exxon Valdez. I found the picture on Flickr here and there's no info other than the title--Exxon Valdez. I did find this article from 2002, which explains the fate of the Exxon Valdez. After a name change to SeaRiver Mediterranean, the Valdez was permanently retired in September 2002, "Too expensive to sail on, it was pulled from service late last month and anchored off some forgotten coastline in East Asia, perhaps to die."

Crossposted at Ice Station Tango.

TAGS: Environment, Oil Companies, Supreme Court, Alaska