Exxon Mobil officials cite scientific studies, many funded by the company, that discount the notion that the spill triggered the collapse of herring stocks or their current decline.
http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/n … spill.html
Knowing the case would drag on in court for years Exxon began funneling money to politicians who might be sympathetic to the oil barons cause. Only this year people began receiving compensation for the disaster, and in a strange twist Exxon managed to name itself as a claimant in the case and received about 20% of the cash paid out. ( can't find link, heard it on interview today from area fishermen battling in court )
The ruling follows a 14-year court battle, during which more than 3000 plaintiffs have died.Mr Wills had expected to use his $US85,000 ($A88,000) share of the $US2.5 billion punitive damage settlement against Exxon to pay off some of his debts, but a US Supreme Court decision on Wednesday cut the damages to about $US500 million.
With soaring world oil prices, that sum represents two days' earnings for Exxon, which last year posted record profits of $US40.6 billion.
Mr Wills will now only receive $US15,000 as his share of the revised damages. "After everything we've been through, that's barely enough to cover payroll for a month," he said. "This is a knife in the gut."
Across Alaska, plaintiffs in the lawsuit against Exxon reacted to the decision with sorrow and rage. "I'm expecting a call that someone I know has jumped out of a building," said Evan Beedle, who lost his boat-cleaning business in Cordova after the spill.
During the long-running legal battle, there have been bankruptcies and suicides.
The average payment to the 33,000 plaintiffs was to be $US76,500 before Wednesday's ruling. Now it's down to about $US15,000.
As if recording astounding profits will our country spiraled towards financial ruin ( it all started with gas prices spiking, raising the cost on living and all foods and services, making people late on the credit cards and mortgages, driving up commodites. It was always about oil. Then it became about banks ) Exxon gets insurance money to cover their pennies, while lives are ruined, species are devastated and to this day the mess remains.
Oil was found at 58 percent of the 91 sites assessed and is estimated to have the linear equivalent of 5.8 km of contaminated shoreline in a recent survey.
Exxonmobil posted a 36 billion dollar profit in 2006.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11098458/
