Word: spills
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When the Exxon Valdez fouled Alaska's waters a year ago, Americans reacted with shock and indignation. Last week it was Exxon's turn to be shocked. U.S. Attorney General Dick Thornburgh announced that the company had been indicted on five criminal counts stemming from the March 1989 oil spill. That action, which reportedly followed the breakdown of a plea bargain that Alaskan officials opposed as too lenient, could cost Exxon $700 million in fines if the company is convicted. Said Thornburgh: "We intend to see that the laws are fully and strictly enforced...
...been strongly identified with the initiative, describe it as an "environmental bill of rights." Other enthusiasts know it simply as the Big Green. It aims at nothing less than protecting all food, air and water from chemical contamination. If passed in November, it would authorize a $500 million oil- spill contingency fund. It would also create a new elective office, that of an "environmental advocate" to police compliance...
...central question is whether one person can be singled out for blame in the worst oil spill in U.S. history. The state believes so, basing its case on the tenet that a ship's captain is ultimately responsible for his vessel. Hazelwood's history of alcohol abuse has not helped his credibility. Nor has the fact that he left the bridge in the critical minutes before the accident. Hazelwood's defense is nonetheless trying, as it wades through a witness list loaded with 112 names, to persuade the jury that the captain was a scapegoat. Says Michael Chalos, a defense...
...trial began, Governor Steve Cowper released a report indicating that the spill is still very much on the mind of his state. A survey completed last fall asserted that up to 117 miles of coastline in Prince William Sound and along the Gulf of Alaska were still heavily or moderately oiled. The next comprehensive survey will not take place until March, when the cleansing effect of winter storms can first be measured. Exxon, which has spent $1.8 billion on the cleanup already and is negotiating a settlement with the U.S. Government that could cost the company an additional $500 million...
California's oily beaches highlight the environment as the hottest issue in U.S. politics, and candidates on both coasts are scrambling to prove their colors. -- In Alaska, Joseph Hazelwood's lawyers hope to show that he was a victim, not a villain, of the Exxon Valdez spill. -- Why is George Bush rocking along with a 76% approval rating? His low profile helps. -- Despite being dragged into court, Ronald Reagan remains serene...