Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D.

3-27-89 There has been a terrible oil spill off the southwest coast of Alaska, in Prince William Sound. This is an area of pris­tine water, where commercial fishers have plied their trade for decades. The spill was caused by an Exxon tanker running aground. Preliminary reports are that the captain was not at the wheel when the accident occurred. Instead, the third mate was in charge, and he was intoxicated. Liability, however, is not the current con­cern. The most important thing now is to (1) contain the oil, so that it doesn’t spread further, and (2) remove the oil that sits on the water and has washed ashore. Thousands of birds and sea otters have been coated with crude, black oil, and fish are going to die by the millions. The local people, many of whom depend on fishing as their livelihood, will have to move or undertake new occupa­tions. What outrages me is that the federal government has not yet acted. Ironically, George [Herbert Walker] Bush criticized Michael Dukakis during the presidential campaign for letting Boston Harbor get polluted. Bush vowed to be “the environmental president”. Hah! He’s so committed to commercial oil interests that he couldn’t possibly call for more stringent shipping regulations. It appears that unless the federal government steps in, the oil will not be con­tained. The scenes on television are sickening.