Oil Damage News

New EU rules on responsibility for cleaning up the environment came a step closer when Parliament and the Council reached agreement in conciliation last week on the environmental liability directive. EU governments will in future have to ensure either that environmental damage is prevented or that the mess is soon cleaned up again. And in a clear shift towards the "polluter pays" principle, the cost of cleaning up will be borne by the company or other operator that caused the damage. If this is not possible, the relevant authorities may, as a last resort, take the necessary measures themselves to repair the damage. Rules on environmental liability will be standardized throughout the EU…

Foss Maritime Co. will pay the Suquamish Tribe $1.1 million for environmental and spiritual damage caused by a 2003 oil spill near Edmonds, Snohomish County, reported by the AP. Nearly 4,700 gallons of heavy oil polluted a section of the tribe’s shellfish beds at Indianola when a Foss barge was overfilled at a fueling station at Point Wells on Dec. 30, 2003. The tribe announced that it had reached a settlement with Foss on Feb. 9. It plans to use the money to help build a $20m cultural and economic revitalization project on the reservation. Foss, which took responsibility for the accident, previously paid the tribe $126,000, plus $265,000 to a federal fund for environmental cleanup projects. Source: AP

The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council, sponsored by the Department of the Interior, will meet in Anchorage, Alaska on December 3-4, 2002. Among the items on the agenda is a review of lingering oil damage. Source: HK Law