Feds end Exxon Valdez litigation

Federal attorneys will stop trying to recover more money from Exxon Mobil Corp. from the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska, ending the litigation after more than 26 years.

Attorneys for the Justice Department and Alaska told a federal court late Wednesday that the current threat to wildlife in the Gulf of Alaska does not warrant reopening their case against the oil giant.

{mosads}“While there may still be value in addressing lingering oil for other reasons, the patches of lingering oil that remain can no longer be considered an impediment to the recovery of sea otters or harlequin ducks or a significant ongoing threat to their now-restored populations in the spill area,” Justice wrote in a court filing.

Lawyers will formally present the status update Thursday to Judge Russel Holland of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska.

The federal and state governments said they could have pursued up to $92 million in reopening the litigation.

The spill played a major role in firing up the environmental movement at the time, while pictures of oil-covered birds angered a wide swath of the American public and fueled long-standing opposition to the oil industry. It also caused Congress and Alaska to enact reforms to prevent similar incidents.

The state and federal government settled with Exxon in 1991 for $900 million for the disaster, in which the Exxon Valdez oil tanker ran aground off Alaska’s coast and released as much as 38 million gallons of crude oil.

It was the largest oil spill in United States waters until BP’s 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster, and caused long-lasting damage to the water, shore, birds, fish and other wildlife, along with the region’s economy.

John Cruden, Justice’s assistant attorney general for natural resources, told the Alaska Dispatch News that a nine-year thorough scientific process by federal and state agencies fell short of the standard needed to reopen the case under the 1991 settlement terms.

“In fact, the money that they provided us was sufficient for restoration,” Cruden said.

“This is a success story,” he said, adding that “the long saga of Exxon Valdez, with regard to the federal government, is over.”