Alaska Cleanup

Your suggestion (“Why Rule Out a Plea Bargain?” editorial, March 7) that Alaska be made partner to the settlement of Exxon’s plea bargain is to suggest Alaska help settle a crime in which it shares blame. Alaska, Exxon and Alyeska Pipeline Corp. neglected their duty to protect a national treasure, the Prince William Sound.

Alyeska, responsible for continuing operation of the pipeline, accepted the state-mandated obligation to maintain cleanup equipment and quick response teams in the Port of Valdez. The response teams included much of Valdez’s population who were practiced and drilled regularly. That is until Alaskans allowed their legislature to repeal the quick response teams. Legislatures don’t move today without a lobbying push and oil spill damage is minimized with fast cleanup as seen with the British Petroleum spill. Therefore, blame for much of the Exxon spill damage must fall on Alyeska, Alaska’s legislature, and by extension the citizens of Alaska.

The board of directors of Exxon, Exxon Shipping and Alyeska as well as Alaskan legislators and the skipper of the boat should be sentenced to swabbing the shore. A corps of Alaskan citizens should be enlisted to aid the convicts, everyone healing their psyche through penance.

KIRK DOWNEY

Pasadena