Exxon, Subsidiary Plead Not Guilty to Oil Spill Charges
Exxon Corp. and its subsidiary, Exxon Shipping Co., in separate arraignments Monday pleaded not guilty to five-count criminal indictments accusing them of violating various federal laws in the nation’s worst oil spill.
The two Feb. 27 indictments stem from the March 24, 1989, loss of nearly 11 million gallons of North Slope crude oil from the Exxon Valdez after the tanker struck a reef in Prince William Sound. The spilled oil contaminated hundreds of miles of the Alaska shore and killed thousands of fish, birds and other animals.
Justice Department officials have said that convictions could result in fines of $700 million.
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