Governor calls for meetings on reopener

Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski said March 28 he has asked that top administration officials join with federal officials to hold public meetings to discuss the “reopener” clause of the 1991 Exxon Valdez oil spill settlement agreement and to obtain public input on natural resource injuries and ideas for restoration projects.

“I have called for these meetings because many Alaskans were impacted by and have lingering concerns about the 1989 oil spill,” said Murkowski. “State and federal officials are nearing the end of their evaluation on whether or not to pursue the reopener, but no final decision on the matter should be made without the opportunity for Alaska residents to contribute relevant information for our consideration.”

The governor’s office said that under the reopener clause Exxon could be required to make additional payments totaling as much as $100 million to restore populations, habitat or species that were injured as a result of the spill and which could not have been determined at the time the 1991 settlement agreement was signed. Attorney General David Márquez, Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Kurt Fredriksson and Department of Fish and Game Commissioner McKie Campbell, as well as federal representatives, will participate in public meetings to be held in Anchorage, Cordova and Kodiak. The dates and locations of the meetings will be announced shortly.

“For our part we want to hear what the public has to say,” said Márquez. “In turn, we want everyone to come away with a clear understanding of how the reopener clause was intended to work.”

—Petroleum News