25 years later, oil spilled from EXXON VALDEZ still clings to lives, Alaska habitat

[Blue_In_AK]

http://www.adn.com/2014/03/21/3386355/25-years-later-oil-spilled-from.html

Andy Wills was sleeping on a friend's couch in Cordova, Alaska, on March 24, 1989, ready to head out and harvest spring herring in Prince William Sound.

"My buddy had just handed me a cup of coffee in the morning and we're watching 'Good Morning America,' " Wills said. "And there's the Exxon Valdez on TV, spilling oil."

"We were like, 'No!' It was just the start of a nightmare," Wills said.

The herring of Prince William Sound still have not recovered. Neither have killer whales, and legal issues remain unresolved a quarter of a century later. Monday is the 25th anniversary of the disaster, in which the tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground on Bligh Reef and spilled at least 11 million gallons of oil into the pristine waters of the sound.

Prince William Sound today looks spectacular, a stunning landscape of mountainous fjords, blue-green waters and thickly forested islands. Pick up a stone on a rocky beach, maybe dig a little, though, and it is possible to still find pockets of oil.

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[MindMover]

1. Sad that we are addicted to dinosaur juice ...

[Blue_In_AK]

3. I agree.

And the industry brings so much corruption. It's terrible what the oil influence has done to Alaska's state government. I think the only reason it isn't a national scandal is because we're so far away and such a small population. Our governor, who was a ConocoPhillips lobbyist and formerly worked for the law firm that represented EXXON in the spill lawsuit, really is the equal of Scott Walker, Rick Scott, etc. in scumminess. Leaving us with him is the worst thing Sarah ever did to Alaskans.

[rhett o rick]

2. We must gain control of the corporations before they destroy our planet. nm

[drmeow]

4. I often feel that it is an empty gesture -

they are all so bad - but to this day I won't buy Exxon gas (or Mobil although I've been guilt of slipping on that one).

[Blue_In_AK]

5. There aren't any Exxon or Mobil gas stations in Anchorage

but the corporation controls our state government, along with BP and ConocoPhillips. We have no BP or Conoco stations either. It's kind of ironic.