Valdez
How the infamous Exxon Valdez oil spill affected livelihoods
Alaska's Prince William Sound is a uniquely beautiful place, but the lives of the people of this remote region were changed forever when the oil tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground, spilling millions of litres of oil.
"It's been a slow death rather than a fast death", says Mr Kopchek, a fisherman on the Sound. "A lot of people are losing their boats and have their homes in jeopardy now." The fragile ecosystem of the Sound was destroyed by the oil slick and the local fishing community in the town of Cordova has been locked in battle with Exxon ever since. Exxon told the world that it was doing all it could to clear up the mess but locals say that was a lie. Salmon have failed to return and fishermen have found themselves going slowly bankrupt. When the spill first occurred Exxon threw money at the problem, but now they are throwing money at their lawyers to contest claims for compensation.
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