20 Years After Spill, Valdez Oil 'Harmless'

Ship was scouting ice to prevent accidents; 3rd recent spill in area

(AP) - Two decades after the Exxon Valdez disaster, a tugboat working to prevent another oil spill in Alaska's Prince William Sound ran aground on the same reef, leaving a three-mile sheen of oil. The 136-foot tug Pathfinder had just finished checking for dangerous ice when it hit Bligh Reef. Alaska Sen. Mark Begich said it was troubling that a spill response vessel "managed to run aground on one of the most well marked and well known reefs in the northern hemisphere." More»

(NEWSER) - The Exxon Valdez oil spill is still wreaking havoc on Prince William Sound 20 years later, and an increased push for drilling in Alaska has conservationists and fisherman girding for a repeat, Yale Environment 360 reports. The decimation of the sound’s herring population has affected everything from seabirds to killer whales. But the legacy of the Valdez isn’t all bad. More»

Supreme's justices appear to be split in Valdez case

(NEWSER) - Nearly 20 years after the Exxon Valdez spilled 11 million gallons of crude oil in Prince William Sound, the company asked the Supreme Court to reject a ruling that it pay $2.5 billion in punitive damages. Judges appeared split in today's arguments, USA Today reports, making a tie possible because Samuel Alito has recused himself. If that happens, the punitive damages stand. The court also could reduce the amount. More»

Exxon has paid $3.5 billion over years, but claimants want 'closure'

(NEWSER) - Almost two decades after the Exxon Valdez spilled 11 million gallons of oil off the Alaskan coast, legal clashes continue—and will reach the Supreme Court this week, the Washington Post reports. At issue is whether Exxon's $3.5 billion payout is enough or should increase to $5 billion, as demanded by an Alaskan jury 14 years ago. For many claimants, though, it’s too late: 20% have died since that verdict. More»

(NEWSER) - It’s been 20 years to the day since the Exxon Valdez dumped about 11 million gallons of crude oil into Alaska’s Prince William Sound, and the area has still not recovered. Oil, particularly below the surface, persists, and marine animal populations have not recovered. Still, Time reports, the Bush administration’s push to drill offshore in Alaska could subject the region to another ecological disaster. More»