Alaska Asks Court for Custody of Exxon Spill Records

An accord between Alaska and Exxon to investigate the destruction of oil spill documents came unraveled, and negotiators met Saturday amid new allegations of wrongdoing and a state request for court intervention.

Despite renewed weekend talks aimed at getting Exxon to voluntarily turn over documents and let state lawyers question company officials about the destruction of spill records, Alaska was no longer relying on assurances from Exxon and was seeking a court order requiring Exxon to submit to state demands that it have custody of the records by Wednesday.

Alaskan officials said they requested court intervention “due to the emergency created by the destruction of documents in violation of a court order.”

Says Copies Exist

Exxon has acknowledged that computer tapes were erased at its Houston office, but company officials said only a small number of tapes were destroyed and that copies of all oil spill records exist.

But state lawyers filed documents in Alaska Superior Court late Friday alleging that up to 250 tapes were destroyed, some containing “shocking” information, that Exxon ordered the tapes erased and that some of the information may not exist elsewhere.

The tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground March 24 and spilled nearly 11 million gallons of oil in the biggest spill in U.S. history. Oil has spread over a large area of water and shoreline, killed thousands of animals, closed fishing grounds and triggered scores of lawsuits--and a court order that Exxon preserve all spill documents.

27,000 Sea Birds

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said contamination from the spill has killed about 27,000 sea birds, and the death toll can be expected to increase for at least a few more months.

Figures released by a federal information office in Valdez show 563 of 1,326 sea birds received alive at rescue centers have been released. Nearly 600 have died at the facilities.

Last week’s agreement in principle that Exxon submit to a state probe of the document destruction unraveled, and state lawyers went to court Friday for an order forcing Exxon to comply with state demands, filing a 10-page petition and the eight-page affidavit offering dismissed computer operator Kenneth Davis’ account of the destruction of records.

Wants Employees to Testify

Alaska asked the court to order Exxon to surrender spill records--including copies of destroyed documents that Exxon says exist--and to compel Exxon employees to testify under oath about the destruction of records.

The state wants the contents of Room 1385 at Exxon headquarters in Houston turned over to its custody.