EXXOn Valdez Ruling - Political Forum

CHUQ · 12-23-2006, 05:22 AM

Just reported on CNN that Exxon has been given a new amount for the Valdez thing. It will be half of what they were originally fined. I have no link yet. Any opinions on this developement?

Tumbleweed · 12-23-2006, 11:04 AM

I haven't read anything about it yet, but I'm not surprised. That is one of the perks of massive appeals. They can hold out long enough to get a favorable ruling.

captkell · 07-13-2007, 01:16 PM

KELLIE KVASNIKOFF PRESS RELEASE

*Release Source: Kellie Kvasnikoff

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Kellie Kvasnikoff Aims to increase public awareness of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill and Exxon’s failure to pay the plaintiffs with a book titled Exxon Valdez 18 Years And Counting.

Kirkland, WA—July 12, 2007— Kellie Kvasnikoff writes about the facts of the case and how it has and is affecting him today.

Exxon Valdez 18 Years And Counting is a guide to the legal explanation of the case and a resource for the public to better understand the attitude Exxon maintains towards people and the environment.

Kellie Kvasnikoff wrote Exxon Valdez 18 Years And Counting to help others understand the pain, loss, offensiveness, and nauseating effects this legal case has brought the plaintiff’s of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill and to give a view from a Native perspective of the loss to his native culture. Exxon Valdez 18 Years And Counting is available for purchase at Kellie Kvasnikoff's Storefront - Lulu.com

A Montgomery County jury returned a verdict in December 2000, finding that Exxon defrauded Alabama on royalties from natural gas wells in state waters. The jury awarded the state $87.7 million in compensatory damages and $3.42 billion in punitive damages (Athan Manuel, 2007).
3.42 billion in punitive damages awarded in the Alabama case is virtually 1 billion more than the award set by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals for us Plaintiff’s in the Exxon Valdez and this was for stealing oil. How can it be that we the plaintiff’s of the Exxon Valdez, rate below theft? Does stealing outweigh the destruction of human lives, cultural traditions, financial means, land, sea life, and other animals? One would believe so based solely on this case. Given the facts there is just no word for me to describe how offensive and nauseating this is.

Link to Publication*: Kellie Kvasnikoff's Storefront - Lulu.com

ABOUT AUTHOR
Kellie Kvasnikoff is an Alaska Native who was raised on the waters of Cook Inlet. His family founded the village of Ninilchik, Alaska in the 1800’s. He was a commercial fisherman, handed down since time immemorial. He was forced into a career change as a result of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill. He was 25 years old when this disaster happened and is now 43.

# # #
MEDIA CONTACT: Kellie Kvasnikoff, kellie.kvasnikoff@comcast.net,

Wheeldog · 07-24-2007, 11:01 PM

For what it is worth, I worked on the Exxon Valdez recovery effort and can assure you that it was worse than you can imagine. My work was centered primarily along the coastline between the island of Kodiak and the shoreline of Katmai National Park on the Alaska Peninsula. Most people do not realize that the spill released oil that literally slimed hundreds of miles of shoreline far beyond Prince William Sound. I saw seals, sea lions, otter, brown bears, eagles, waterfowl and even foxes covered in the thick, brown oil residue. We unsuccessfully tried to keep it from fouling what were some of the most pristine coastal wilderness areas of the world. And it is still there. If you were to walk out onto those same beaches today and used a shovel to dig down a couple of feet, you will find layers of raw oil that will not degrade for decades to come. It continues to leach toxic residue into the waterways to be ingested by fish and wildlife. Exxon should be forced to pay for this damage as long as it continues to impact Alaska.