Your Call 040909 What's the legacy of the Exxon-Valdez oil spill?

Beyond the petroleum scum that still fouls the beaches of Prince William Sound, what is the legacy of the Exxon-Valdez oil spill? On the next Your Call we'll mark the 20th anniversary of the spill by speaking with Riki Ott, author of Not One Drop: Promises, Betrayal, and Courage in the Wake of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill. Before getting her doctorate in marine toxicology with a specialty in oil pollution, she was a community activist and a fisherm'am in Alaska. The millions of tons of oil released by the Exxon Valdez was a catastrophe for the ecology and the economy of the Alaskan coast. In her book, Ott tells the story of the fight to hold Exxon responsible. Last June, that effort was dealt a terrible blow when the Supreme Court cut the punitive damages award by 90%. Send us an email at feedback@yourcallradio.org or join us live at 11 am. San Francisco had a close call two years ago when the Cosco Busan struck the Bay Bridge and leaked a small amount of oil; have we learned the lessons from the experience of our northern neighbors? It's Your Call with Rose Aguilar and you.

Guest:
Riki Ott in Alaska
A commercial salmon "fisherma'am," Dr. Riki Ott (PhD in marine biology) experienced firsthand the devastating effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill and chose to do something about it. Ott retired from fishing and founded three nonprofit organizations to deal with lingering harm. Her previous book on the spill is Sound Truth and Corporate Myth$. She lives in Cordova, Alaska.

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