Reichert wants the heat on Exxon for Valdez oil spill

WASHINGTON — Rep. Dave Reichert marked the anniversary of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill Friday by asking Congress to pressure the oil giant to pay its $4.5 billion punitive-damages award stemming from a lawsuit by fishermen and Alaska Natives.

"Exxon is a company that made $36 billion last year. They ought to be able to pay off these people in 17 years, don't you think?" Reichert said. "There have been 4,000 motions, dozens of appeals, and all they continue to do is delay."

Reichert, R-Auburn, said he wants the chairman and CEO of Exxon Mobil, Rex Tillerson, to resolve the protracted litigation and "pay up."

The letter came as some of the Seattle-area financial victims of the spill rallied at Fishermen's Terminal, where much of the Alaska fishing fleet is based. An interest group called Washington Advocates has urged Reichert to seek congressional intervention to end the litigation.

By calling for the payment, Reichert may be bucking some powerful people in his party, as well as his own backers.

Sen. Ted Stevens and Rep. Don Young, powerful lawmakers from Alaska, see oil-spill compensation as an Alaska state issue, Reichert said. Neither Stevens nor Young could be reached for comment Friday, and Reichert said he has not spoken directly with either of them about the issue.

In addition, the oil and gas industry was among the top contributors to Reichert's 2004 race, with nearly $35,000. Exxon was among his major energy-industry givers.

A federal jury awarded the punitive damages against Exxon in 1994, and Exxon has fought the award ever since. In January, its lawyers asked a federal appeals court to reduce the amount from $4.5 billion to $25 million.

The suit was brought on behalf of about 34,000 fishermen, food-processing companies and small fishing businesses, including many from Washington state.

A spokesman for Darcy Burner, Reichert's opponent in this year's congressional race, said the Exxon payments issue is representative of the link between the GOP and the oil industry.

Exxon "can get away with this because of that culture in D.C.," Zach Silk said. "It shouldn't be a lone voice objecting; there should be a chorus."

Staff researcher Gene Balk contributed to this story.

Alicia Mundy: 202-662-7457 or amundy@seattletimes.com