Putting Big Oil on Trial

COPPER RIVER— The State of Alaska and Alyeska Pipeline company will be on trial for failing to protect the Copper River from oil spills, June 9-12 in downtown Anchorage at 1016 W. 6th Ave., in the fourth floor hearing room.

The Trans-Alaska Pipeline threatens the Copper River for 180-miles as the pipeline snakes through the watershed, crossing many large tributaries. Given past experience and the aging, corroding pipeline, that spells a high risk that the next Exxon Valdez will be into our precious watershed.

Stakeholders from all walks of life have joined together to convince the state that Alyeska's oil spill contingency plan, which would allow oil to escape into the Copper River, would be an environmental and human catastrophe. At special risk are the famous Copper River salmon, and the world-renowned wetland at the Copper River Delta. 

The state broke the law by approving Alyeska's oil spill prevention and contingency plan. That plan ignores the Copper River almost entirely, and is full of response gaps. Their basic error was in refusing to believe the Copper is a very important place. 

Amazing but true: the State bureaucrats don't consider the Copper an "environmentally sensitive area." This allows them to plan to clean up an oil spill after the fact, rather than keeping enough equipment on hand to keep spilled oil from escaping into the river system.

Actually called an Adjudicatory Hearing, the case is Cascadia Wildlands Project v. Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. The decision will be made by the Palin administration's Commisioner of Environmental Conservation, Larry Hartig. 

Requestor Cascadia Wildlands Project will present evidence, and call witnesses from the watershed, including Nick Jackson (Gulkana), John Craig (Kluti-kaah), Linda Tyone (Gakona), Karen Linell (Chistochina), Brenda Rebne (Ahtna), Dune Lankard (Eyak), Kristin Smith (Copper River Watershed Project), and James Brady, an expert in oil spill impacts to fisheries. 

Interestingly, Alyeska's lead counsel in the case was also their lead counsel in the Exxon Valdez case. Apparently, their response is still to throw lawyers at their problems, rather than dealing with Alaskans straight. And they want us to trust these same owner companies to build our gasline? Enough is enough. Come clean, Alyeska, and join us. Lets work together to keep your oil in your pipe, and out of Alaska's rivers. 

Check here for updates, or click below to download our legal brief.

/Opening_Brief.pdf