Talk of Alaska: Oil Spills and the Culture of Law

From Alaska Public Radio Network
Oil Spills and the Culture of Law
December 2, 2008

Audio track here:
www.sqwalk.com/media/APRN_TalkOfAlaska_RikiOtt_20081202.mp3
(Big file, 27 mb, if it won't stream for you, it's a heck of a download.)

Nice irony, this program is sponsored in part by BP Alaska "where training Alaska's future work force is a priority."

In addition to the Exxon Valdez, two other oil spills were mentioned on the program:

Exxon Valdez, 22-Mar-1989, Prince William Sound, Alaska,
- carrying 191,000 tonnes (1,264,000 barrels) of crude oil, spilled 38,800 tonnes (257,000 barrels or 11 million gallons)
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exxon_Valdez_oil_spill

Hebei Spirit, 07-Sep-2007, east coast of South Korea,
- carrying 260,000 tonnes of crude oil, spilled 10,800 tonnes
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebei_Spirit_oil_spill

Selendang Ayu, 08-Dec-2004, Unalaska Island, Alaska
- carrying soybeans from Seattle to China
- spilled 1100 tonnes (8333 barrels, 350,000 gallons) - 80% of the Bunker C and diesel fuel oils on board
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selendang_Ayu

One caller makes this point: "That guy that shot the holes in the pipeline. How much time is he doing? How much of a fine did he get?"

Daniel Lewis is his name. He's from Livengood, Alaska, believe it or not. He was drunk on October 4, 2001 (as was Joseph Hazelwood when last in command of the Exxon Valdez). "A jury found him guilty of criminal mischief, assault and drunk driving, all felonies, and the misdemeanor counts of oil pollution and misconduct involving a weapon, and causing 285,000 gallons of crude to coat a forested area has been ordered to pay over $17 million in restitution for the act." Lewis is in jail in Fairbanks serving a 16-year sentence. In 1978, about 670,000 gallons of oil spilled after a hole was blasted with explosives near Fairbanks. No one has ever been arrested or charged for that incident.
www.solcomhouse.com/trans.htm

Talk of Alaska: Exxon ‘Valdez’ Oil Spill of 1989

Are we on guard against another major oil spill? As the checks finally go out to those damaged by the Exxon Valdez oil spill — nearly 20 years after it happened — “Talk of Alaska” will take a look at lessons learned, and lessons still UN-learned, from that event and its aftermath.

HOST: Steve Heimel, APRN

GUESTS:

Dr. Riki Ott, author of Sound Truth & Corporate Myth$: The Legacy of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill and Not One Drop: Betrayal and Courage in the Wake of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
Marc Galanter, Professor of Law emeritus, University of Wisconsin and author of Lowering the Bar: Lawyer Jokes and Legal Culture