P.M. BRIEFING : 3 Environmental Groups Sue Exxon for Billions to Restore Fouled Areas

Exxon Corp. should be forced to pay billions of dollars to restore Alaskan areas fouled by the Exxon Valdez oil spill, three environmental groups said today in announcing a lawsuit against the company.

The suit was to be filed later in the day in Alaska Superior Court.

It seeks to force Exxon and the Alyeska pipeline company to finance the cleanup and restoration of the environment through an independently supervised trust fund after the March 24 tanker spill of about 11 million gallons of oil into Alaska’s once-pristine Prince William Sound.

“We expect that the fund will amount to billions of dollars,” said Sharon Newsome, vice president of the National Wildlife Federation. Other participants in the suit are the Wildlife Federation of Alaska and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

The suit also seeks punitive damages against the companies, alleging that they engaged in fraud and misrepresentation of their ability to react to a major oil spill. The damages would be paid into the fund.

Exxon already faces 150 lawsuits, mainly by Alaskans whose livelihoods were impaired by the oil spill. In addition, the state of Alaska filed suit Tuesday seeking unspecified damages.