Lessons from the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
A Case Study in Retributive and Corrective Justice for Harm to the Environment
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15021707 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Liszka Liszka (corresponding author) |
| Year | 2010 |
| Volume | 15 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 1 |
| Publication date | 2010-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Ethics & the Environment (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1085-6633 • E-ISSN: 1535-5306 |
| Publisher | Indiana University Press (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.2979/ete.2010.15.2.1 |
| OpenAlex | W2054982578 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 9 |
The settlements surrounding the Exxon Valdez oil spill prove to be an interesting case of retributive and corrective justice in regard to damage to the ecology of the commons, particularly in light of the recent Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico. After reviewing the harm done to the ecology of Prince William Sound by the spill, and an account of Exxon Corporation’s responsibility, I examine the details of the litigation, particularly the Supreme Court decision in this matter. In the early settlement, there is a clear disproportion between damage awards to plaintiffs representing the current economic users of Prince William Sound versus the trustees for the Sound’s commons. I argue that the disproportion reveals not only a thoroughly economic understanding of ecological commons, but bias in the treatment of its current economic users, as opposed to an understanding of such ecologies as true commons shared over generations. I argue that such biases fail reasonable moral tests and do not stand up to common principles of retributive justice. I end by suggesting a legal maneuver to correct such tendencies
Economic Justice · Environmental protection · Harm · Oil spill · Political science · Retributive justice · Environmental Justice and Health Disparities · Environmental law and policy · Environmental Science · Law · Wildlife Conservation and Criminology Analyses
| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,4 |
| Citation span | 2021 - 2026 (6) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |