ExxonMobil faces lawsuit after Arkansas oil spill

[alp227]

Source: CNN

Residents in Mayflower, Arkansas, have filed a class-action lawsuit against ExxonMobil after a pipeline rupture that allowed thousands of barrels of heavy crude oil to flow into a residential area.

They are seeking more than $5 million in damages.

"This Arkansas class action lawsuit involves the worst crude oil and tar sands spill in Arkansas history," read the lawsuit, which was filed Friday in U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Arkansas.

According to the lawsuit, more than 19,000 barrels were spilled.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/08/us/arkansas-oil-spill/index.html

[BlueToTheBone]

1. I think all citizens of the state should sign on.

Our biggest attraction is our "Natural State" and Exxon has ruined it.

[olddad56]

5. Now that it is ruined, Exxon will use that as an excuse to drill.

Like "Whats the difference it is already ruined". My guess is that if Arkansas is like most of the gulf coast states, the politicians are already on the oil companies payroll.

[Art_from_Ark]

9. Wal-Mart has a bigger influence in Arkansas than oil companies

There is a bit of oil production in the southern part of the state (Smackover, El Dorado, etc.), but I don't think the local oil companies are such a dominant force in the state's economy.

[primavera]

7. Here in New Orleans...

... one of our greatest treasures and tourism draws was the quality of our seafood. Now, thanks to BP, our seafood comes with three eyes and is covered in open sores and lesions - not exactly appetizing. But, unless you can produce a quantifiable harm measurable in precise dollar amounts, the courts are closed to you. Only businesses that have lost money can seek recourse from them. The millions of us who have lost quality of life are just shit out of luck.

[Jackpine Radical]

2. $5 million? What are they trying to do, bankrupt Exxon?

Some upper-level exec would have to miss lunch for a couple of days to make up an exorbitant claim like that.

[Volaris]

12. I was just going to say, If they want to make a STATEMENT,

they should be asking for 50 Billion at least

[forestpath]

3. I wish them luck. They deserve a LOT more than that.

[Politicalboi]

4. Didn't Exxon already

Pay them with oil?

[Billy Pilgrim]

6. I'm sure they're all getting their resumes out.

They earn over $100 million a day, so they're probably freaking out about this.

[valerief]

8. Does anyone ever win against ExxonMobil? nt

[Art_from_Ark]

10. Exxon fought against the Alaska oil spill damages it had to pay

It was originally ordered to pay a few billion dollars in punitive damages, but ended up paying around $500 million.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exxon_Valdez_oil_spill

[valerief]

13. And it only took them TWENTY YEARS to pay that. nt

[Art_from_Ark]

15. Yup

If precedent is any indication, it will be the next generation of Mayflower Arkansans who will get something resembling a settlement

[SunSeeker]

11. $5 million?! Exxon makes over $122 million in PROFIT each day.

That is under-the-couch-cushion money for Exxon.

Rachel did an excellent segment on the ridiculous profit Exxon makes and how little even million-dollar fines affect it.
http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/04/08/17659012-exxon-too-big-to-care-plus-a-chart-challenge?lite

[midnight]

14. It won't be long before the P.R. unit is unleashed and the commercials start saying how good

ExxonMobil is to the community...

[Javaman]

16. slicing and dicing the definition....

last I heard, exxon was claiming that it wasn't "oil" spilled but a form of bitumen.

While technically correct, this is one way they are trying like hell to be not responsible for the cleanup. Which, if I recall from the story that I read last week, has to be "oil" in order to be libel for damages.

But again, exxon is just try to distract and cloud the issue at hand.

In the end, someone else will pay for it, exxon will pay a minimum fine and the poor people on that block (will have their houses bought out at half their value) will be scattered to the wind with various physical maladies.