As you may have heard, the State of Alaska and the United States government have the opportunity to pursue up to $100 million from Exxon for further restoration of damages to the natural resources of Prince William Sound caused by the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989. This opportunity was made possible through a clause of the original 1991 civil settlement entitled “Reopener for Unknown Injury.”
The original settlement paid the State for damages to public natural resources caused by the oil spill. Through the reopener clause, Exxon and the State acknowledged that there might be injuries to species and habitats that could not have been predicted at the time of the spill.
Research during the past 15 years has shown that such injuries have occurred, and that 23 of the 30 species and resources damaged by the spill have still not recovered.
The residents and communities of Prince William Sound, as well as others throughout Alaska, are banding together to encourage Governor Murkowski and the United States government to invoke the reopener for unknown injury clause and make Exxon pay for the ongoing damage its oil caused to the Sound.
This is a much broader issue than Prince William Sound. I believe it has implications to all places visited by the oil tankers to call to and from here; clearly, the residents of Puget Sound should take note of this especially in light of a major oil company's refusal to participate in an oil spill drill there recently.
Those who are concerned can assist this effort by contacting Alaska State Representative John Harris (Rep_John_Harris@legis.state.ak.us) and Alaska Governor Murkowski (www.gov.state.ak.us/govmail.php) to let them know that you want the State to invoke the reopener clause.
More information on the spill and the effort to press for invocation of the reopener clause can be found at www.exxonreopener.org.
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