Alaska Governor, MD AG Lead Exxon Valdez Victims newser

(Washington, DC) Alaska Governor Sarah Palin (R) and Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler will join victims of the Exxon Valdez oil spill and the principles of The Whole Truth Campaign, www.wholetruth.net, at a news conference tomorrow.
The event takes place one day before arguments are scheduled to begin before the Supreme Court in the Fishermen and Native Subsistence lawsuit, Baker vs. Exxon.
The class action suit composed of 32,677 commercial fishermen, individuals and businesses caps a near 20-year effort by groups trying to gets damages from Exxon.
Victims of the Exxon Valdez oil spill launched The Whole Truth Campaign this month in support of the fishermen, women and Alaska Natives suing Exxon to recover damages for economic harm caused by the spill.
The Exxon Valdez oil spill is one of the nation's worst environmental disasters. At issue in the case is the $2.5 billion dollar punitive damage verdict, awarded by a jury to punish Exxon for its corporate conduct and recklessness. The award breaks down to $76,500 per individual plaintiff; Exxon argues that it should not be punished at all.
On August 20, 2007 Exxon filed a motion with the Supreme Court. On October 29, 2007 the Court agreed to hear the case. Oral arguments are set for Wednesday. The nineteenth anniversary of the spill is one month later, March 24.
On January 29, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin announced that the State of Alaska filed an amicus, or "friend of the court," brief supporting the award of punitive damages against Exxon. The next day, Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler announced that Maryland had taken the lead role in support of the plaintiffs. Thirty-three other states have signed on to Maryland's amicus brief. On the web: www.wholetruth.net.

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RNS-02-25-08 0914CST