CARBUCKLE@UMKCVAX1.BITNET (Valentine M. Smith) (02/09/90)
Headline News reported earlier today, in the wake of the Huntington Beach oil spill, that Congress has been wrestling for 14 years!!!on culpability legisla- tion. I have a suggestion. In addition to the double hull, double bottom part of the proposed law, why not enact some draconian fine structure for spillers? If an oil company knew it had to pay a $10 million dollar fine for ANY spill, plus clean it up and absorb the cost of governmental clean-up, might not this further the cause of less spills?(I don't know, only a suggestion.)
BI705001@BROWNVM.BITNET (Susan J. Luckel) (02/09/90)
it will probably make our oil prices go 'way up (again 8( ). Not that I think it shouldn't be done. I think it has to be done; and soon, or we will find ourselves with no shorelines devoid of black goo.
KWILCOX@AUVM.BITNET (ken wilcox) (02/10/90)
On Thu, 8 Feb 90 15:23:00 CST Valentine M. Smith said: >why not enact some draconian fine structure for spillers? If >an oil company knew it had to pay a $10 million dollar fine for ANY spill, >plus clean it up and absorb the cost of governmental clean-up, might not this >further the cause of less spills?(I don't know, only a suggestion.) there maybe a few less accidents because of greater safety vigilance. But by its very nature an accident is unexpected occurance. a fine wont stop nature... Ken Wilcox mother nature, you have the right to remain silent....
JWS@BROWNVM.BITNET (Joseph Sullivan) (02/11/90)
What burns me about the EXXON spills isn't that they happen, but rather the arrogance with which big corps like EXXON respond to suggestions that they clean it up. When you spill a glass of milk on the floor, you cleaned it up. Mom and Dad insisted upon it and it's very reasonable. Most people clean up their own messes. You don't wipe up part of it and then charge everybody in the house for the paper towels. EXXON's responsibility for the mess in Alaska is precisely the same as anyone else's. Now, if they won't assume the responsibility, then Mom and Dad step in and pound the little bastard. Since EXXON has demonstrated no intention of rendering anything but a cursory cleanup, the Govt. should--and I believe under existing law--can seize EXXON's Alaskan holdings as a 'public nuisance', and distribute its assets to the State of Alaska for coastal cleanup. Alaska could then administer EXXON's remaining Pt. Barrow holdings as a public corporation, with profits going to the people of Alaska (after all, it's their oil). Sounds a little like Socialism? It is.