Exxon Spill
I find it surprising that you would say, as you did in The Times’ editorial (“The Risks of Underregulation,” May 6), that “Exxon seemed to treat the (Alaska oil spill) disaster as just one of those things,” and characterize Exxon’s approach to the cleanup as “less than urgent.” Clearly, you are not familiar with the magnitude of Exxon’s response in context with the problems involved.
Although Exxon itself had no “on the ground” operating organization in Alaska prior to the spill, within 24 hours after the accident Exxon had 35 employees on the scene in Valdez, and had hired 200 others. After one week, there were 800 people employed; after one month, 3,000; and we now expect the people involved in the cleanup to approach 7,000.
In just a few weeks’ time, Exxon has brought together the largest--or certainly among the largest--aggregations of personnel, equipment, and material ever assembled to combat the effects of an oil spill. And we fully intend to complete the cleanup by the Sept. 15 deadline set in the Coast Guard-approved cleanup plan.
W.D. STEVENS
President
Exxon
Houston, Tex.
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