Valdez Captain Turns Himself In : Bail Set at $500,000 for Charges From Alaska Oil Spill

The fired captain of the oil tanker Exxon Valdez surrendered this morning to face charges of being drunk when his vessel ran aground, and a judge set his bail 20 times higher than prosecutors had sought.

“These misdemeanors are of such a magnitude that has never been equaled, at least in this country,” Judge Kenneth Rohl said as Joseph Hazelwood was arraigned as a fugitive.

“He’s got to think about that. We have a man-made destruction that has not been equaled, probably, since Hiroshima.”

Rohl set the bail at $500,000 cash. District Atty. Patrick Henry had recommended bail of $25,000.

Hazelwood, who had been sought since Sunday on a fugitive warrant, turned himself in about 8:45 a.m.

Hazelwood, who wore a tie and had shaven off his thick beard, was accompanied by three lawyers who had been negotiating with authorities for two days to arrange the surrender.

Hazelwood faces three misdemeanor charges in Alaska stemming from the March 24 grounding of the Exxon Valdez, which spilled more than 10 million gallons of oil into Prince William Sound.

Hazelwood, 42, a resident of the Long Island community of Huntington, apparently flew to New York from Anchorage, Alaska, last week.

Prosecutors said Hazelwood will be asked if he wants to waive extradition proceedings. If he agreed and bail is set, he would be sent back to Alaska to face the charges there.

Hazelwood is charged with operating a ship while under the influence of alcohol, reckless endangerment and negligent discharge of oil. The charges carry combined maximum penalties of 2 1/4 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

FBI officials in Washington say they are also investigating whether Hazelwood could be charged with felony violations of the Clean Water Act, which prohibits negligent discharge of pollutants into navigable waters.

Hazelwood was fired by Exxon last Thursday after the National Transportation Safety Board said tests taken about 10 hours after the disaster showed he was under the influence of alcohol.

Hazelwood had been arrested twice for drunken driving and had his license suspended three times. His mother said that her son had undergone rehabilitation and that Exxon was aware of his drinking problem.

Hazelwood was not on the bridge when the tanker ran aground. A third mate who was not certified to pilot the vessel was in command.

Exxon said it has changed its policy because of the spill and now requires crews to be aboard ship, where drinking is prohibited, four hours before sailing.