saw this in the ny times last weekend... unbelievable that it has taken this
long to settle and even worse that the punitive damages vs. liabitlity is
such a small ratio. according to the article i read the courts said that it
wasn't as bad as a disaster occuring on land since it occured in water... to
me it should be considered the same as damages to land or even
worse considering that 75% of our world is water and that we so hugely
depend on water for our survival!!!!

heidi


On 6/30/08, Eel Bonjack <scissormansnip@yahoo.com> wrote:

  well, as we all know, the Oils are now scattered in the wind for a few
years now, and closed their chapter, as all bands have to do at some
point............

but the issues they brought to our attention are continuing to this day,
which is to be expected, unfortunately.

Midnight Oil's music still makes us dance..........
And Exxon's Oil still makes us sick. and I mean
SICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(explanation below)

Court Rewards Exxon for
Valdez Oil Spill

by Greg Palast
Chicago Tribune (revised)
[Thursday, June 26, 2008] Twenty years after Exxon Valdez slimed
over one thousand miles of Alaskan beaches, the company has yet to pay
the $5 billion in punitive damages awarded by the jury. And now they
won't have to. The Supreme Court today cut Exxon's liability by 90% to
half a billion. It's so cheap, it's like a permit to spill.
Exxon knew this would happen. Right after the spill, I was brought
to Alaska by the Natives whose Prince William Sound islands,
livelihoods, and their food source was contaminated by Exxon crude. My
assignment: to investigate oil company frauds that led to to the
disaster. There were plenty.
But before we brought charges, the Natives hoped to settle with the
oil company, to receive just enough compensation to buy some boats and
rebuild their island villages to withstand what would be a decade of
trying to survive in a polluted ecological death zone.
In San Diego, I met with Exxon's US production chief, Otto Harrison,
who said, "Admit it; the oil spill's the best thing to happen" to the
Natives.
His company offered the Natives pennies on the dollar. The oil men added a
cruel threat: take it or leave it   (Show me more...)











[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]