2008 has been a very busy and successful year to date for Prince William Soundkeeper and I would like to thank all of our members and donors for your continued support.
For the past several months, our attention and resources have been dedicated to fighting Exxon’s appeal to the United States Supreme Court to overturn the punitive damages award resulting from the 1989 ExxonValdez oil spill in Prince William Sound. While this choice required that we put our core program work temporarily on hold, the ExxonValdez oil spill is one of three pivotal events in the history of the Sound including the arrival of Europeans in the 1700’s and the 1964 earthquake. The ExxonValdez oil spill permanently altered the environment, the communities and the cultures in the Sound and its ongoing impacts continue to affect our daily lives from the crash of herring stocks to depressed economies to destruction of traditional practices and lingering habitat degradation. At the core of all of these concerns is clean water. Because Exxon structured its argument to the court by suggesting a reinterpretation of the Clean Water Act and a distinction between land based liability and that under maritime law, this case is of great concern to the entire United States. As an organization committed to protection of clean water, Prince William Soundkeeper determined that it was necessary and appropriate for us to not only be present, but to take the leadership position in holding Exxon accountable.
Working in a new and unique partnership with Cordova District Fisherman United, we developed and implemented the Whole Truth campaign, a national public relations effort to raise awareness of this case across the United States, to put the true facts and implications of this case back in the public dialogue and to put the spotlight on the high court.
We assembled a ten person campaign team that worked with stakeholders across the region including commercial fishers, Alaska Natives, governments, business, residents, sportsmen, environmentalists and others. Our purpose was to create a researched, credible message; and a web-based resource that would serve the campaign, but also become a lasting educational resource illustrating the breadth and depth of impacts to people and the environment resulting from an oil spill. In doing this work, we raised the profile of the Prince William Soundkeeper across Alaska and the lower 48. We created many new alliances and successfully established Prince William Soundkeeper as a strong environmental organization that engages, listens to and respects the diverse concerns of stakeholders across the Sound.
On February 27, 2008 we held a press conference with Washington, DC that included the participation of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, Maryland Attorney Douglas Gansler, Prince William Soundkeeper, Cordova District Fishermen United, and individual representatives from the region. The event and the issue received national television and radio coverage including CSPAN, CNN, CNN International, CBS News, MSNBC, Fox News, AP TV, PRI Living on Earth, Independent Television News of London, Public Radio International, BBC, PBS Newshour with Jim Lehrer, Alaska Chanel 2 News, Alaska Chanel 11 News, Alaska Public Radio Talk of Alaska, KCHU, KTUU, KMXY, KLAM, Bloomberg, Tribune Syndication and the Cordova Times. National print and web media included the Washington Post, LA Times, New York Times, Forbes.com, and numerous others. Visit our news page to read the clips or visit the campaign website at www.wholetruth.net.
We anticipate a decision from the court between now and June 1, 2008. We are hopeful that the outcome will be protection of the Clean Water Act and punitive damages as a tool by which citizens can hold polluters accountable. At this point we are also hopeful that the punitive damages award will be upheld, however it appears that the court may significantly reduce the award to perhaps less than half of the current $2.5 billion, which is half of the original $5 billion award. While our message and effort has been concerned with justice, not dollar amounts, the purpose of punitive damages is punishment and deterrence. So reduction of an award that had a certain meaning in context of Exxon’s corporate earnings nearly twenty years ago, does concern us to an extent.
I encourage you to log directly onto the campaign website www.wholetruth.net. The “Hear Our Voices Hear Our Stories” page offers compelling and insightful personal audio testimonies from several of our stakeholders that may enrich your understanding of the importance of this issue to the environment and people of Prince William Sound, and to Americans across the United States.
While this campaign has required all of our time and attention for several months, I believe that this effort is not only appropriate and worthwhile, but a major stepping stone in Prince William Soundkeeper’s growth and continued success. Certainly, the most rewarding aspect of the campaign thus far was coming home to Prince William Sound following the national press conference and receiving an outpouring of appreciation from community members and people across Alaska and the lower 48.
I look forward to our continued work on behalf of the environment and communities of Prince William Sound and in the meantime thank you so very much for your continued support.
Cheers - Jennifer
