Exxon Sued Over Illnesses Allegedly Tied to Cleanup
Three years after they scrubbed Alaska shorelines following the Exxon Valdez oil spill, workers are suing over disabilities alleged to be linked to crude oil fumes and cleaning agents.
Lawsuits filed in federal and state courts name Exxon Corp., Exxon Shipping Co. and Exxon Pipeline Co., as well as two contractors that supplied help after the 11-million gallon spill in 1989.
An Exxon spokesman declined comment Wednesday, except to say that throughout the cleanup, the company believed it and its contractors had complied with safety regulations.
One lawsuit is set for trial here next month. It seeks unspecified damages for Melvin Driver of Anchorage. Driver says he has skin problems stemming from cleaning oil-contaminated booms used to contain the oil spill.
Driver’s lawsuit names the local oil field service company VECO International, Exxon’s prime contractor for the multibillion-dollar cleanup.
Pete Leathard, VECO president, said the company tested its workers and provided protective clothing and gear to guard against toxic exposure. “To my knowledge, everything was deemed safe,” Leathard said.
Timothy Burt of Juneau contends he got sick while cleaning up crude oil residue at a site in Seldovia, 150 miles southwest of Anchorage.
His lawsuit asks for compensation for pain and suffering as well as the costs of medical care and rehabilitation.
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