Consequences of a Catastrophic Oil Spill

Consequences of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

On March 24, 1989, the Exxon Valdez grounded on Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound and spilled, reportedly, eleven million gallons of oil. Almost half of this landed on beaches in the Sound. The rest of the oil flushed out of the Sound, contaminating over 1,500 miles of coastal lands and over 10,000 square miles of ocean. Thousands of marine mammals and millions of birds were killed, making this spill the most devastating in U.S. history.

When will it all end?

Here we are over 17 years since the March 24, 1989 grounding of the tanker EXXON VALDEZ on the rocks of Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound. I vividly remember the days, weeks, and months following the oil spill. As a Cook Inlet salmon fisherman little did I know that this oil spill would affect me personally and financially for decades to come.

I felt angry and betrayed that a known alcoholic was allowed to captain an oil Supertanker. Over a thousand miles of contaminated shoreline and millions of birds and animals died as a result. This was the second oil spill in less than three years to impact the Cook Inlet fishery. In 1987 the tanker Glacier Bay ran onto a rock and spilled crude oil into Cook Inlet resulting in fishery closures.

I, like many of the other plaintiffs, followed the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill trial closely and gained a sense of relief and satisfaction when the jury found EXXON guilty of negligence and awarded $5 Billion in punitive damages. At the time of the award this was approximately one year's profit for the oil company. I felt justice had been served. Well, that was over 10 years ago and we are still waiting!

Justice delayed is justice denied. The delays in handling EXXON's appeal at the Ninth Circuit court have been unprecedented. There seems to be no logical reason for these gross delays. However, there appears to be nothing we as the plaintiff or our attorneys can do about it. The Ninth Circuit court is the largest and slowest appeals court in America. I have stopped asking for a best estimate of when this will all end. Second guessing the Ninth Circuit has been a great source of disappointment for our attorneys. We ask for answers they cannot control or predict.

In recent years much of my anger with EXXON has been replaced with frustration over the unresponsiveness of the court system. I am saddened that 20% of the original claimants and a number of the attorneys involved in this litigation have died without knowing whether or not justice has been served. For me a final judgment will bring personal closure and allow our family to move beyond the emotional baggage that came with the oil spill.

Charitable giving is part of our family plan to help bring closure. As devastating as the oil spill was to Alaska families and communities, a favorable judgment will give us the resources to help create a positive legacy through charitable giving.

Bruce Gabrys