Exxon Found Liable: Accountability After Valdez Spill
A jury in Anchorage, Alaska, found Exxon and Captain Joseph Hazelwood negligent on June 13, 1994, for the March 24, 1989, oil spill in Prince William Sound that dumped 11 million gallons of crude oil into one of the most pristine marine environments on Earth. The jury awarded $5 billion in punitive damages, later reduced to $507.5 million by the Supreme Court in 2008. Hazelwood, who had a known drinking problem, was below deck when the tanker struck Bligh Reef. The spill killed an estimated 250,000 seabirds, 2,800 sea otters, 300 harbor seals, and billions of salmon and herring eggs. Over 11,000 workers and 1,400 vessels participated in the cleanup. Despite decades of remediation, oil residue remains detectable in Prince William Sound sediments today.
June 13, 1994
32 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on June 13
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