Exxon Valdez: the spill, insurance and court cases
- NOAA's model, updated with 2015 data, puts 0.6% of the oil that spilled in 1989 still in my Sound. NOAA says digging it up would do more harm than leaving it. NOAA Fisheries
- Where oil is buried it declines by 0 to 4 per cent a year, and in some places it is as toxic as in the first weeks. Cleaning of my beaches stopped in 1994. Science News
- My Pacific herring are considered not recovering; the fishery was closed in 19 of the 25 years after the spill. Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council
- In 2014 my marbled murrelets, Pacific herring, pigeon guillemots and the AT1 group of killer whales were listed as not recovering. Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council
- About 257,000 barrels of oil entered my waters.About 11 million gallons (10.8m most often cited)
- At least 2,100 km of my coastline were oiled.More than 1,300 miles
- About 250,000 of my birds died. estimateNOAA estimate of seabirds; also about 2,800 sea otters and 300 harbor seals
- Company or project Exxon: Said in April 1993 that studies it funded showed no credible evidence of long-term damage, that oil remained on 0.2% of 3,000 miles of shoreline, and that the herring population was unaffected. Oil & Gas Journal
- Government and regulators A NOAA official (unnamed): Described Exxon's 1993 statement as a smokescreen. Oil & Gas Journal
- Government and regulators Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council: Lists marbled murrelets, Pacific herring, pigeon guillemots and AT1 killer whales as not recovering. Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council
- Government and regulators NOAA: About 0.6% of the spilled oil remained in the Sound on a model using 2015 data; it is not entering living things, and digging would do more harm. NOAA Fisheries
- Company or project Exxon: Said in 2009 that the area was healthy, strong and vibrant.
- Researchers Science News (reporting researchers): Buried oil declined by 0 to 4 per cent a year and in some places was as toxic as in the first weeks. Science News
- Government and regulators State and federal governments: Said on 14 October 2015 they would not proceed with the $92m demand; residual oil no longer met the clause's loss threshold for sea otters and harlequin ducks. Juneau Empire (AP)
- Government and regulators Alaska deputy attorney general: Acknowledged that some resources will not recover. Alaska Dispatch News
- Researchers A scientist quoted by the Alaska Dispatch News: Called the decision a betrayal of public trust. Alaska Dispatch News
An Exxon tanker spilled about 257,000 barrels of crude oil in Alaska in 1989. A jury awarded $5 billion in punitive damages; 19 years later the Supreme Court reduced it to $507.5 million. Exxon's excess insurers refused cover on 33 grounds and paid $780 million after a lawsuit, in addition to $400 million from a P&I club.
Jury 1994; US Supreme Court 2008, 19 years after the spill. See Who gained.
Status As of the Trustee Council's accounts to 31 January 2020: insurance claims were settled in 1996-97 and the reinsurance dispute in 2005; punitive damages were fixed at $507.5m in 2008; the governments dropped the $92m reopener demand in October 2015; the Council's latest species list found is from 2014.
- Exxon — Recovered about $1.18bn from insurers: $400m from its P&I club and $780m from Lloyd's-led excess insurers after a lawsuit (sum is an estimate). Business Insurance
- Exxon — The court remitted $125m of the $150m criminal fine "in recognition of Exxon's cooperation in cleaning up the spill and paying certain private claims". Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council (archived)
- Exxon — Could deduct part of the civil settlement from income tax, according to the Alaska Legislature; a CRS estimate cited by a law firm says more than half of the $900m was deductible. Alaska Legislature
- Exxon — About $2.1bn on clean-up, $900m in civil damages, $100m restitution, $25m in fines, $507.5m in punitive damages and $470m in interest; it booked a $1.68bn Valdez provision in 1989. US Supreme Court (Cornell LII)
- Exxon Shipping Company — Declared insolvent in August 1989; Exxon Corporation took over the payments. English High Court
- More than 32,000 fishers, Alaska Natives, landowners and others — Waited 19 years for punitive damages, cut from $5bn to $507.5m; Exxon also paid $303m in voluntary settlements and Alaska Natives received a $20m class settlement. US Supreme Court (Cornell LII)
- Herring fishers — The Pacific herring fishery was closed 19 of the 25 years after the spill. Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council
- Exxon's insurers — The ITIA P&I club paid $400m; Lloyd's-led excess insurers refused cover, then paid $780m after Exxon sued, and English courts held reinsurers not liable for parts of it. Business Insurance
- United States and Alaska — A $92m reopener claim for lingering oil was dropped in 2015 and never paid. Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council
- Wildlife — About 250,000 seabirds, 2,800 sea otters, 300 harbor seals, 250 bald eagles and up to 22 killer whales died (NOAA estimate). NOAA Damage Assessment, Remediation and Restoration Program
- Species not recovering — In 2014 Pacific herring, pigeon guillemots, marbled murrelets and the AT1 killer whale group were listed as not recovering. Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council
- Alaska shoreline — More than 1,300 miles (2,100 km) affected. NOAA Damage Assessment, Remediation and Restoration Program
What happened
On 24 March 1989 the tanker Exxon Valdez, operated by Exxon Shipping Company, ran aground in Prince William Sound, Alaska, loaded with 53,094,510 gallons (1,264,155 barrels) of North Slope crude. About 257,000 barrels (about 11 million gallons; 10.8 million is the figure most often cited) spilled. More than 1,300 miles (2,100 km) of shoreline were affected. NOAA estimates about 250,000 seabirds, 2,800 sea otters, 300 harbor seals, 250 bald eagles and up to 22 killer whales died.
Clean-up ran for more than four summers, with up to 10,000 workers. Exxon said it spent about $2.1 billion; Business Insurance reported in 1996 that Exxon put its total costs at $3.8 billion, of which $2.5 billion was clean-up ($1 billion government settlement, $300 million claims). The Supreme Court recorded $303 million in voluntary settlements with fishers, property owners and other private parties. Exxon Shipping's resources were exhausted and it was declared insolvent in August 1989; Exxon Corporation took over the payments.
In October 1991 the court accepted a plea agreement after rejecting an earlier one in April. Exxon Shipping pleaded guilty to Clean Water Act, Refuse Act and Migratory Bird Treaty Act misdemeanors and Exxon Corporation to a Migratory Bird Treaty Act misdemeanor. Exxon paid a $150 million criminal fine, of which $125 million was remitted, $100 million in criminal restitution, and $900 million in civil damages over ten years, with a $100 million reopener for unforeseen damage. The Department of Justice called the total "a record $1.125 billion". The governments served a $92 million reopener demand in 2006 and said on 14 October 2015 that they would not pursue it. The tanker's captain was tried separately in state court; the proceedings are set out in the legal entries.
In 1994 a jury found Exxon and its captain reckless and awarded $5 billion in punitive damages to more than 32,000 claimants. The award was cut to $2.5 billion by the Ninth Circuit in 2006 and to $507.5 million by the US Supreme Court on 25 June 2008, which set a 1:1 ratio to compensatory damages and split 4-4 on corporate liability for a managerial agent's acts. Exxon paid $470 million in interest in 2009.
Exxon's insurance had several layers. A Bermuda P&I club, ITIA, paid $400 million in pollution cover several months after the spill. Above a self-insured retention of about $200 million to $250 million sat Exxon's global corporate excess programme, placed in London with more than 150 insurers; Lloyd's syndicate 79/650 led it and AIG, CIGNA, Continental, Allianz and Scandinavian companies took part. Business Insurance reported limits of $600 million for property (Section I) and $250 million for liability. About 19 months after the spill the insurers sent a denial letter listing 33 reasons, among them the pollution exclusion on the basis that pollution was covered by the P&I club. Exxon sued in Harris County, Texas in 1993, seeking about $3 billion including $2.15 billion for bad faith, trebling and interest. A $300 million settlement was reported in 1996; a Texas jury found for Exxon in June 1996 and the liability sections settled on 23 January 1997 for $480 million. Exxon collected $780 million in total from the excess insurers, almost eight years after the spill. The insurers then lost against their own reinsurers in London: the Court of Appeal held on 16 March 1998 that the reinsurers were not liable for the $300 million settlement, and in 2004 Colman J held that oil pollution clean-up expenses are not insured by Section I. Exxon's 1989 net income was $3.51 billion after a $1.68 billion Valdez provision; in 2008 it earned $45.2 billion.
As of 31 January 2020 the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council had spent $245.1 million on research and monitoring and $477.6 million on habitat protection, with $188.8 million unspent. Beach clean-up stopped in 1994. The Council's latest list of injured resources (2014) names marbled murrelets, Pacific herring, pigeon guillemots and the AT1 killer whale population as not recovering. NOAA reported about 55 tonnes of oil under beaches in 2001 and, in a model updated with 2015 data, 0.6% of the spilled oil still in Prince William Sound. Exxon said in 1993 that studies it had funded showed no credible evidence of long-term damage; the disputes below set out the accounts of Exxon, NOAA, the Trustee Council and researchers.
- 1989Spill 24 Mar; Exxon Shipping declared insolvent (Aug); P&I club pays $400m several months after the spill; Exxon's Valdez provision lowers its 1989 net income to $3,510m
- 1990Exxon indicted (Feb); captain convicted of a misdemeanor (Mar); Lloyd's-led insurers deny cover with a letter listing 33 reasons, about 19 months after the spill
- 1991DOJ and EPA announce the settlement (13 Mar), with a reopener clause for unforeseen harm; first plea deal rejected (Apr); $900m civil settlement and $150m fine approved (Oct)
- 1993Apr: Exxon says there is no credible evidence of long-term damage; a NOAA official calls the statement a smokescreen. Exxon sues its Lloyd's underwriters in Texas (4 Aug)
- 1994Jury awards $5bn in punitive damages (Sep); shoreline clean-up stops
- 1996Insurers settle property section for $300m (Mar); Texas jury finds for Exxon (Jun)
- 1997Insurers settle liability sections for $480m (23 Jan): $780m in total; Alaska Supreme Court ruling in the captain's case (Oct)
- 199816 Mar: English Court of Appeal holds reinsurers not liable for the $300m settlement
- 2001Last civil settlement payment (Sep); Ninth Circuit vacates the $5bn award
- 2002Punitive award reset at $4bn
- 2004Punitive award set at $4.5bn; London court limits insurers' reinsurance recovery
- 2005English Court of Appeal ruling in the reinsurance case; Equitas v. Brandywine reinsurance dispute settled
- 2006Ninth Circuit cuts the award to $2.5bn; governments serve a $92m reopener demand
- 2008US Supreme Court caps punitive damages at $507.5m (25 Jun)
- 2009Exxon pays $470m in interest (1 Jul); Exxon says the area shows no long-term harm
- 2014Latest official list: four resources not recovering, including Pacific herring
- 2015Governments decide not to pursue the reopener claim (14 Oct)
What was said
“Exxon to Pay Record One Billion Dollars in Criminal Fines and Civil Damages”
“by far the largest single amount ever paid as a result of environmental violations”
“the largest environmental assessment ever”
“In the aftermath of the disaster, Exxon spent around $2.1 billion in cleanup efforts.”
“Exxon will be able to reduce its income tax liability by deducting a portion of the money”
“oil pollution clean-up expenses are not insured by Section I”
“forgave $125 million of that fine in recognition of Exxon's cooperation in cleaning up the spill and paying certain private claims”
“would not be proceeding”
“considered not recovering”
Where accounts differ
Each party's account, side by side, with its source. The record does not settle these points; it shows them.
Sought about $3bn from the insurers, including $2.15bn for bad faith, trebling and interest.
Business InsuranceSent a denial letter about 19 months after the spill listing 33 reasons, including the pollution exclusion on the basis that pollution was covered by the P&I club, and the argument that the loss resulted from wilful or reckless conduct by Exxon.
Business InsuranceFound for Exxon in 1996; with settlements, Exxon collected $780m.
Business InsuranceHeld on 16 March 1998 that the reinsurers were not liable for the $300m settlement.
English High Court"oil pollution clean-up expenses are not insured by Section I."
English High CourtSaid in April 1993 that studies it funded showed no credible evidence of long-term damage, that oil remained on 0.2% of 3,000 miles of shoreline, and that the herring population was unaffected.
Oil & Gas JournalDescribed Exxon's 1993 statement as a smokescreen.
Oil & Gas JournalLists marbled murrelets, Pacific herring, pigeon guillemots and AT1 killer whales as not recovering.
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee CouncilAbout 0.6% of the spilled oil remained in the Sound on a model using 2015 data; it is not entering living things, and digging would do more harm.
NOAA FisheriesSaid in 2009 that the area was healthy, strong and vibrant.
Buried oil declined by 0 to 4 per cent a year and in some places was as toxic as in the first weeks.
Science NewsSaid on 14 October 2015 they would not proceed with the $92m demand; residual oil no longer met the clause's loss threshold for sea otters and harlequin ducks.
Juneau Empire (AP)Acknowledged that some resources will not recover.
Alaska Dispatch NewsCalled the decision a betrayal of public trust.
Alaska Dispatch NewsLimited punitive damages in this maritime case to $507.5 million, a 1:1 ratio to compensatory damages.
US Supreme Court (Cornell LII)Described the 2008 ruling as a light slap on the wrist for Exxon.
Christian Science Monitor (Y. Rosen)Calculated that Cordova lost $126 million in herring catches cancelled through 2005, and his own loss at about $500,000 in earnings and $18,000 in gear.
Christian Science Monitor (Y. Rosen)How it looked
Shown
- A record one billion dollars in criminal fines and civil damages.US Department of Justice and EPA, 1991 · US EPA / Department of Justice
- By far the largest single environmental criminal recovery ever exacted.US Department of Justice and EPA, 1991 · US EPA / Department of Justice
- A $5 billion punitive damages verdict.Federal jury, 1994 · US Supreme Court (Cornell LII)
- Exxon said that studies it funded showed no credible evidence of long-term damage, that oil remained on 0.2% of 3,000 miles of shoreline in spring 1992, and that the herring population was unaffected.Exxon · Oil & Gas Journal
- Exxon spent about $2.1bn on the cleanup effort.Exxon, as recorded by the Trustee Council and the Supreme Court · Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council
- Exxon's total costs were $3.8bn, of which $2.5bn was cleanup ($1bn government settlement, $300m claims).Exxon, as reported by Business Insurance · Business Insurance
- Exxon said in 2009 that there was no long-term harm, that the area was healthy, strong and vibrant, that it had paid $3.8 billion and that 13,000 people had worked on the cleanup.Exxon
Recorded
- $125m of the $150m criminal fine was remitted; $25m was paid.
- Punitive damages fell from $5bn (jury, 1994) to $507.5m (US Supreme Court, 2008), 19 years after the spill.
- Exxon's 2008 net income was $45,220m, including $460m after tax in Valdez litigation charges.
- Exxon collected $400m from its P&I club and $780m from its excess insurers; the civil settlement with the governments was $900m.
- Habitat protection and restoration research received about $723m of the settlement and its interest by 2020.
- Pacific herring: considered not recovering; the fishery was closed in 19 of the 25 years after the spill, with a crash in 1993.
- In 2014 the Trustee Council listed marbled murrelets, Pacific herring, pigeon guillemots and the AT1 killer whale population as not recovering; it is the latest list found.
- NOAA: about 55 tonnes of oil lay under beaches in 2001; a model updated with 2015 data puts 0.6% of the spilled oil still in Prince William Sound. NOAA says this oil is not entering living things, that digging would do more harm, and that a major storm could release it.
- Beach clean-up stopped in 1994 on the assumption that the oil would disappear within a few years; buried oil was declining 0% to 4% a year in 2009 and in places was as toxic as in the first weeks.
- About 23,000 gallons of oil remain on the shore.
- The tanker was loaded with 53,094,510 gallons (1,264,155 barrels) of North Slope crude oil.
- Exxon's 1989 net income was $3,510m after a $1,680m Valdez provision.
- A state-funded contingent valuation study put the lost passive-use value at $2.8bn.
- Nine land parcels appraised at $150m were bought for $234m with settlement funds (GAO, 1998).
- Ten seafood processors (the 'Seattle Seven' settlement) settled in 1991 for $64m, agreeing to return all but $12.4m of any share of punitive damages.
Who gained
Reached nature or the ground
Gained elsewhere
Responses on record
- Exxon (April 1993; 2008): Said in April 1993 that studies it funded showed no credible evidence of long-term damage, with oil on 0.2% of 3,000 miles of shoreline in spring 1992 and the herring population unaffected; says it spent about $2.1bn on clean-up. A NOAA official called the 1993 statement a smokescreen. · Oil & Gas Journal
- Exxon (2009): Said in 2009 that there was no long-term harm, that the area was healthy, strong and vibrant, that it had paid $3.8 billion and that 13,000 people took part in the clean-up.
- Exxon's excess insurers (Lloyd's syndicate 79/650 and others) (1990-1997): Denied cover after about 19 months with 33 grounds, including the pollution exclusion and the argument that the loss resulted from wilful or reckless conduct by Exxon; later settled for $300m and $480m. · Business Insurance
- Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council (2014 list): Lists Pacific herring, marbled murrelets, pigeon guillemots and AT1 killer whales as not recovering. · Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council
- State and federal governments (October 2015): Said on 14 October 2015 they would not pursue the $92m reopener demand. · Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council
In court and with insurers
Lawsuits and rulings
- 1990–1991Guilty plea$150m fineUnited States v. Exxon Corporation and Exxon Shipping (criminal)US District Court, D. Alaska (Judge H. Russel Holland) · Criminal · US Department of Justice → Exxon Corporation; Exxon Shipping Company
After a $100m plea deal was rejected in April 1991, a revised plea to misdemeanor counts was accepted on 8 October 1991; the felonies were dropped, $125m of the $150m fine was remitted, and $100m restitution was ordered. Exxon Shipping pleaded guilty to Clean Water Act, Refuse Act and Migratory Bird Treaty Act misdemeanors and Exxon Corporation to a Migratory Bird Treaty Act misdemeanor. US EPA / Department of Justice
- 1991Settled$900m settlementUnited States and Alaska v. Exxon (civil consent decree)US District Court, D. Alaska · Civil · United States; State of Alaska → Exxon Corporation
Exxon agreed to pay $900m in civil damages over ten years, with the last payment in September 2001. Of the $900m, $135m covered past costs and about $750m restoration, and $216.4m reimbursed governments' costs. A reopener allowed up to $100m for unforeseen damage. Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council (archived)
- 2006–2015Dismissed$92m claimedReopener claim for unforeseen damageUS District Court, D. Alaska · Civil · United States; State of Alaska → Exxon Corporation
The governments served a $92m demand for lingering-oil clean-up in 2006 under the $100m reopener, and said on 14 October 2015 they would not proceed; nothing was paid. Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council
- 1994Claimant won$5bn awardedIn re Exxon Valdez (punitive damages, jury verdict)US District Court, D. Alaska · Class action · More than 32,000 fishers, Alaska Natives, landowners and others → Exxon Corporation; Captain Joseph Hazelwood
The jury found Exxon and Hazelwood reckless and awarded $5bn in punitive damages against Exxon and $5,000 against Hazelwood; judgment was entered on 24 September 1996. US Supreme Court (Cornell LII)
- 2001Overturned on appealIn re Exxon Valdez (Ninth Circuit, 2001)US Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit · Appeal · Exxon Corporation → Plaintiff class
The Ninth Circuit vacated the $5bn punitive award. US Supreme Court (Cornell LII)
- 2002Reduced on appeal$4bn reduced-toIn re Exxon Valdez (district court, 2002)US District Court, D. Alaska · Civil · Plaintiff class → Exxon Corporation
On remand the punitive award was reset at $4bn. US Supreme Court (Cornell LII)
- 2004Claimant won$4.5bn awardedIn re Exxon Valdez (district court, 2004)US District Court, D. Alaska · Civil · Plaintiff class → Exxon Corporation
After a further remand the district court set the punitive award at $4.5bn. US Supreme Court (Cornell LII)
- 2006Reduced on appeal$2.5bn reduced-toIn re Exxon Valdez (Ninth Circuit, 2006)US Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit · Appeal · Exxon Corporation → Plaintiff class
On 22 December 2006 the Ninth Circuit cut the punitive award to $2.5bn. Fortune
- 2008Reduced on appeal$507.5m reduced-toExxon Shipping Co. v. Baker, 554 U.S. 471US Supreme Court · Appeal · Exxon Shipping Co. and Exxon Corporation → Baker and plaintiff class
On 25 June 2008 the Court, 5–3, capped punitive damages at a 1:1 ratio to compensatory damages, about $507.5m; it split 4–4 on corporate liability for a managerial agent's acts. US Supreme Court (Cornell LII)
- 2009Claimant won$470m paidIn re Exxon Valdez (interest on punitive damages)US Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit · Appeal · Plaintiff class → Exxon Corporation
On 15 June 2009 the court ordered 5.9% interest from 1996; Exxon paid $470m on 1 July 2009 and $70m in appeal costs in December 2009. Faegre Drinker
- 1990Claimant won$0.05m restitutionState of Alaska v. Hazelwood (trial)Anchorage Superior Court (Judge Karl Johnstone) · Criminal · State of Alaska → Joseph Hazelwood, captain
The jury convicted the captain only of negligent discharge of oil, a misdemeanor, and acquitted him of criminal mischief, operating a vessel while intoxicated and reckless endangerment; sentence: 1,000 hours of community service and $50,000 restitution. Alaska Supreme Court (FindLaw)
- 1992Overturned on appealHazelwood v. State (Court of Appeals, 1992)Alaska Court of Appeals · Appeal · State of Alaska → Joseph Hazelwood
The conviction was reversed because of federal immunity for spill reports. Alaska Supreme Court (FindLaw)
- 1993Claimant wonState v. Hazelwood (Alaska Supreme Court, 1993)Alaska Supreme Court · Appeal · State of Alaska → Joseph Hazelwood
The Supreme Court reversed the 1992 ruling under the inevitable-discovery doctrine. Alaska Supreme Court (FindLaw)
- 1996Overturned on appealHazelwood v. State (Court of Appeals, 1996)Alaska Court of Appeals · Appeal · State of Alaska → Joseph Hazelwood
The conviction was reversed again, on the ground that a criminal-negligence standard was required. Alaska Supreme Court (FindLaw)
- 1997Claimant wonState v. Hazelwood, 946 P.2d 875 (Alaska Supreme Court, 1997)Alaska Supreme Court · Appeal · State of Alaska → Joseph Hazelwood
On 3 October 1997 the court held that "a separate showing of simple civil negligence is both necessary and sufficient" and remanded; the captain began community service in 1999. Alaska Supreme Court (FindLaw)
- 1993–1996Claimant won$238.47m awardedExxon Corporation v. Lloyd's underwriters (Harris County, Texas)Harris County District Court, Texas · Civil · Exxon Corporation → Lloyd's syndicate 79/650 and more than 150 excess insurers
A jury found for Exxon on 10 June 1996; the 3 July 1996 judgment awarded $238.47m above a $210m deductible, plus $161.1m interest and more than $10m costs. Business Insurance
- 1993–1997Settled$780m settlementExxon Corporation v. Lloyd's underwriters (settlements)Harris County District Court, Texas · Civil · Exxon Corporation → Lloyd's-led excess insurers
The property section settled for $300m on 15 March 1996 and the liability sections, including the judgment, for $480m on 23 January 1997. Exxon sought about $3bn including $2.15bn for bad faith, trebling and interest. Settling all insurer claims took almost eight years. Business Insurance
- 1998Defendant won$300m claimedLloyd's underwriters v. reinsurers (Section I settlement)Court of Appeal of England and Wales · Appeal · Lloyd's underwriters → Reinsurers
On 16 March 1998 the court held the reinsurers not liable for the $300m property-section settlement. Business Insurance
- 2005Defendant wonKing v. Brandywine Reassurance [2004] EWHC 1033 (Comm)English High Court (Colman J); Court of Appeal 2005 · Civil · King (for Lloyd's underwriters) → Brandywine Reassurance (CIGNA Re run-off) and other reinsurers
The High Court (2004) and the Court of Appeal (2005) held reinsurers not liable for parts of what the primary insurers had paid, finding that "oil pollution clean-up expenses are not insured by Section I". A related Equitas v. Brandywine matter settled in 2005. Business Insurance
Insurers
- 1989Paid$400m paid (full extent of cover)International Tanker Indemnity Association (ITIA), Bermuda P&I club → Exxon Shipping Company
The club paid the full $400m pollution cover several months after the spill, about half of Exxon Shipping's clean-up spending. Business Insurance reported the payment as made in full. Business Insurance
- 1990Refused, paid after suit$780m recovered after suitLloyd's syndicate 79/650 (lead) and more than 150 insurers of Exxon's global corporate excess programme; AIG, CIGNA, Continental, Allianz and Scandinavian companies participated → Exxon CorporationStated reason: 33 reasons, including the pollution exclusion and "Exxon's willful, wanton, reckless and/or intentional misconduct"
The insurers denied cover about 19 months after the spill; Exxon sued in 1993 and collected $780m in 1996–97, almost eight years after the spill. Limits reported by Business Insurance: $600m property (Section I) and $250m liability. Exxon sought about $3bn from the insurers. Settling all claims took almost eight years. Business Insurance
- 1989Self-insuredExxon (self-insured retention) → Exxon Corporation
The excess programme sat above a self-insured retention of about $200–250m. Business Insurance
- 2004Claim refusedReinsurers including Brandywine Reassurance (CIGNA Re run-off) → Exxon's Lloyd's-led insurersStated reason: "oil pollution clean-up expenses are not insured by Section I"
English courts in 1998, 2004 and 2005 held reinsurers not liable for parts of what the primary insurers had paid Exxon. Equitas v. Brandywine settled in 2005. English High Court
- 1989No policy foundHull insurers (not identified) → Exxon Shipping Company
No hull-insurance payout was found; the tanker was repaired for about $30m and returned to service.
What nature saw
Nature's report opens this page. Below: further outcomes measured on the ground.
What we don't know
Nature
Insurers
- Unclear Hull insurers (not identified): no decision on record.
Figures
- Insufficient Insurance market loss range: Reported industry estimate of the insurance market's total loss (low end shown); source not verified.
Accounts
Record
- None on record No single audited total of money paid to private claimants exists.
- None on record How many claimants died before payment: press reports say more than 3,000; other accounts range from 1,000 to one third of the claimants; no court-documented count was found.
- Unclear Whether any insurance money went into the restoration funds: no source says so.
- None on record The tax deductions Exxon actually took: a CRS estimate cited by a law firm says more than half of the $900m was deductible, and in May 1991 an economist hired by the Alaska legislature estimated "$1.3 billion in tax write-offs and insurance payments"; no IRS or Exxon filing confirms what was deducted. Fines are not deductible under current law.
- None on record Interest Exxon earned on the unpaid punitive award while appealing (1994-2008): no figure found.
- None on record Hull insurance payout for the tanker: not found.
- None on record The final remand ruling in the captain's criminal case was not confirmed.
- None on record Exxon's share of Alaska pipeline oil: all shippers moved oil worth an estimated $189bn in 1989-2008; Exxon's share was not established.
- None on record Exxon's own spill cost: about $3.8bn by January 1996 (press) or more than $3.4bn by 2008 (Exxon).
- Insufficient The amount of the 1996 Texas verdict: the judgment entered on 3 July 1996 was $238.47m above a $210m deductible, plus $161.1m interest and more than $10m costs; other accounts give about $250m (secondary) and a $420m judgment (a law-firm page no longer available, unverified).
- Disputed Exxon's 1989 charge for the spill: accounts differ ($1.35bn after tax per Business Insurance; $1.38bn per Oil & Gas Journal; a $1,680m provision in the annual report).
- None on record The total insurance market loss: an industry estimate of $1.4bn to $3.5bn is reported without a verifiable source.
- None on record The final amount of the 'Seattle Seven' processors' cede-back after the award was cut to $507.5m.
- None on record No record was found of criminal proceedings against Exxon executives.
- Insufficient Reported but not independently verified: a 2006 Exxon spokesperson's statement that 350 peer-reviewed studies showed recovery; a herring closure since 1999; 14 of 22 AT1 killer whales dead with no calves since 1989.
- Insufficient Reported but not independently verified: an Exxon spokesperson acknowledged in 2009 that whether the Sound had recovered depended on the definition used.
- Insufficient Reported but not independently verified: at least seven suicides associated with the spill and four clean-up deaths.
- Insufficient Reported but not independently verified: 17 of 27 monitored species had not recovered by 2009; oil at a few parts per billion has killed salmon eggs; oiled mussel beds were projected to need about 30 years to recover (Science, 2003).
Did the harm stop?
Clean-up ran from 1989 to 1992 and beach clean-up stopped in 1994. NOAA reports that buried oil remains and says it should be left in place. In 2014 Pacific herring, pigeon guillemots, marbled murrelets and the AT1 killer whale group were listed as not recovering.
Who paid?
Exxon and its insurers; more than 32,000 claimants who waited 19 years for punitive damages; Cordova fishers who lost herring catches through 2005; Alaska's wildlife and fisheries; US taxpayers for the deductible share of the civil settlement.
Sources
Company or project
- Exxon Corporation Form 10-K 1993Exxon (SEC filing) · 1994
- ExxonMobil fourth quarter 2008 resultsExxonMobil (SEC filing) · 2009
- Historic throughputAlyeska Pipeline Service Company · —
Government and regulators
- Exxon to pay record one billion dollars in criminal fines and civil damages in connection with Alaskan oil spillUS EPA / Department of Justice · 1991-03-13
- Exxon Valdez oil spill case pageNOAA Damage Assessment, Remediation and Restoration Program · —
- SettlementExxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council (archived) · 2024
- ReopenerExxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council · —
- Questions and answersExxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council · —
- Status of restorationExxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council · 2014
- Pacific herringExxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council · —
- 2020 annual reportExxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council · 2020-07
- House Joint Resolution 34Alaska Legislature · 1991
- Exxon Valdez settlement: status (GAO/RCED-98-236)US General Accounting Office · 1998
- Details about the accidentExxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council (Alaska Oil Spill Commission reprint) · 1990-02
- Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council: economic impactsExxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council · n.d.
- Lingering oil from the Exxon Valdez spillNOAA Fisheries · 2018-02-26
Courts
- Exxon Shipping Co. v. Baker, 554 U.S. 471US Supreme Court (Cornell LII) · 2008-06-25
- King v Brandywine Reassurance Co [2004] EWHC 1033 (Comm)English High Court · 2004
- State v. Hazelwood, 946 P.2d 875Alaska Supreme Court (FindLaw) · 1997-10-03
Press and investigations
- Exxon Valdez teaches insurers a hard lessonBusiness Insurance · 1997-09-28
- Exxon seeks more spill coverBusiness Insurance · 1996-01-21
- Exxon Valdez oil spill litigation updateFaegre Drinker · 2011-05
- US court slashes Exxon Valdez damagesMail & Guardian · 2008-06-26
- Supreme Court slashes $2.5B Exxon Valdez awardFortune · 2008-06-25
- Court limits reinsurance recoveries on ValdezBusiness Insurance · 2005-03-13
- BP, oil, and deducting punitive damagesWood LLP · 2010
- Report on Exxon settlement, tax write-offs and insuranceChristian Science Monitor · 1991-05-01
- State, federal governments end Exxon Valdez oil spill legal fightAlaska Dispatch News · 2015-10-15
- State, feds won't pursue $92M more in '89 Exxon Valdez spillJuneau Empire (AP) · 2015-10-15
- Exxon Valdez controversy revivedOil & Gas Journal · 1993-04-26
- Exxon Valdez oil lingers; so does its toxicityScience News · 2009-03-24
- Report on Cordova fishermen's reaction to the Supreme Court rulingChristian Science Monitor (Y. Rosen) · 2008-06-27
- Court ruling means Exxon may save millionsSeattle Times · 2000-10-13
Connected cases
- BP Deepwater Horizon: the spill, the court cases and the recovery claims United States · 2010–2031
- Lloyd's of London (Insurer) — here: Lead of 150+ excess insurers; refused cover, paid $780m after suit; there: Excess insurers on Transocean's liability programme; market loss estimate $300–600m
- US Department of Justice (Government) — here: Prosecutor and civil claimant; there: Prosecutor and civil claimant
- NOAA (Public authority) — here: Federal agency reporting on residual oil; there: Lead scientific trustee agency
- US Environmental Protection Agency (Public authority) — here: Federal regulator in the 1991 settlement; there: Suspended BP from new federal contracts, 2012–2014
- Roundup litigation, settlements and legal shield (Bayer/Monsanto) United States · 2009–2026
- US Department of Justice (Government) — here: Prosecutor and civil claimant; there: Supported Monsanto in Durnell
- US Supreme Court (Court) — here: Cut punitive damages to $507.5m (2008); there: Decided Monsanto v. Durnell
- AIG (Insurer) — here: Participant in the excess programme; there: Insurer that refused cover
- US Environmental Protection Agency (Public authority) — here: Federal regulator in the 1991 settlement; there: Approved the Roundup label; said it would not accept a cancer warning
- Insurers of the Carmichael coal mine Australia · 2015–2025
- Lloyd's of London (Insurer) — here: Lead of 150+ excess insurers; refused cover, paid $780m after suit; there: Market whose members insured the mine from 2019
- AIG (Insurer) — here: Participant in the excess programme; there: Not ruled out; insured on-ground works until 30 September 2019
- Allianz (Insurer) — here: Participant in the excess programme; there: Insurer that said it would not support the mine (Dec 2018)
- Monsanto/Bayer PCB and Roundup insurance suit v AIG United States · 1967–2026
- US Supreme Court (Court) — here: Cut punitive damages to $507.5m (2008); there: Decided Monsanto v. Durnell, 7–2
- AIG (Insurer) — here: Participant in the excess programme; there: Insurer that declined cover; defendant
- US Environmental Protection Agency (Public authority) — here: Federal regulator in the 1991 settlement; there: Regulator; the sources reviewed say it told Bayer it would not accept a cancer warning
- US Supreme Court blocks state cancer-warning suits against pesticide makers United States · 2026
- US Department of Justice (Government) — here: Prosecutor and civil claimant; there: Supported Monsanto in the case
- US Supreme Court (Court) — here: Cut punitive damages to $507.5m (2008); there: Ruled on the preemption question
- US Environmental Protection Agency (Public authority) — here: Federal regulator in the 1991 settlement; there: Approved the labels; announced the paraquat review
- 3M PFOS: internal evidence, EPA penalty and Minnesota settlement United States · 1979–2026
- AIG (Insurer) — here: Participant in the excess programme; there: Insurer suing 3M over coverage (October 2024)
- US Environmental Protection Agency (Public authority) — here: Federal regulator in the 1991 settlement; there: Regulator; TSCA charge closed 2006
- California v. ExxonMobil: plastics recycling claims and the Baytown plant United States · 2021–2026
- Exxon Corporation (ExxonMobil from 1999) (Company) — here: Tanker owner's parent; pleaded guilty; paid $900m civil damages and $507.5m punitive damages; there: Operator of the Baytown advanced recycling plant; defendant in the California case; claimant in the defamation suit
- US Environmental Protection Agency (Public authority) — here: Federal regulator in the 1991 settlement; there: Rejected the mass balance method for its Safer Choice label, per ProPublica
- Dark Basin hacking of climate groups (#ExxonKnew) United States · 2023
- Exxon Corporation (ExxonMobil from 1999) (Company) — here: Tanker owner's parent; pleaded guilty; paid $900m civil damages and $507.5m punitive damages; there: Company that denied knowledge
- US Department of Justice (Government) — here: Prosecutor and civil claimant; there: Prosecuting authority (Southern District of New York)
- EACOP pipeline: insurers decline, construction continues Uganda / Tanzania · 2021–2026
- Gulf of Mexico dead zone (Mississippi nutrient runoff) United States · 1985–2026
- NOAA (Public authority) — here: Federal agency reporting on residual oil; there: Funds and reports the annual survey
- US Environmental Protection Agency (Public authority) — here: Federal regulator in the 1991 settlement; there: Clean Water Act regulator
- Mosaic settles US hazardous-waste case over phosphogypsum handling United States · 2015
- US Department of Justice (Government) — here: Prosecutor and civil claimant; there: Co-signatory of the settlement
- US Environmental Protection Agency (Public authority) — here: Federal regulator in the 1991 settlement; there: Regulator that inspected the sites and signed the settlement
- Net-Zero Insurance Alliance collapse and insurers’ fossil underwriting Global · 2021–2025
- Lloyd's of London (Insurer) — here: Lead of 150+ excess insurers; refused cover, paid $780m after suit; there: Insurance market; left NZIA 26 May 2023
- Allianz (Insurer) — here: Participant in the excess programme; there: Founding member; left 25 May 2023
- 1,4-dioxane in Tide: Prop 65 settlement and New York limit United States · 2011–2024
- US Environmental Protection Agency (Public authority) — here: Federal regulator in the 1991 settlement; there: Regulator; revised risk determination
- 3M booked US$10.3bn charge for US public water PFAS settlement United States · 2023–2036
- AIG (Insurer) — here: Participant in the excess programme; there: insurer that sued 3M over coverage
- ADM Decatur carbon storage site leaks about 8,000 tons, EPA finds United States · 2023–2024
- US Environmental Protection Agency (Public authority) — here: Federal regulator in the 1991 settlement; there: regulator that found a violation
- AES coal ash sold as road fill in Guayama, Puerto Rico; arsenic above standard United States · 2021
- US Environmental Protection Agency (Public authority) — here: Federal regulator in the 1991 settlement; there: Federal regulator promising action
- After Sackett ruling, NRDC says at least 60% of individual wetlands are unprotected United States · 2023
- US Environmental Protection Agency (Public authority) — here: Federal regulator in the 1991 settlement; there: Defendant in Sackett; named in reported 2025 and 2026 proposals to narrow the test (not verified)
- Alliance to End Plastic Waste and Renew Oceans (Ganges) India · 2019–2026
- Exxon Corporation (ExxonMobil from 1999) (Company) — here: Tanker owner's parent; pleaded guilty; paid $900m civil damages and $507.5m punitive damages; there: Founding member; named among five members compared by Unearthed
- BP's Gulf spill used Corexit; Nalco board had ex-BP and Exxon executives United States · date not stated
- Exxon Corporation (ExxonMobil from 1999) (Company) — here: Tanker owner's parent; pleaded guilty; paid $900m civil damages and $507.5m punitive damages; there: Company whose former executives sat on Nalco's board
- Chemours spin-off liabilities United States · 2015–2025
- US Environmental Protection Agency (Public authority) — here: Federal regulator in the 1991 settlement; there: Regulator in the December 2005 PFOA case
- Chevron, Texaco and the Lago Agrio judgment: the RICO ruling and the Donziger cases Ecuador · 1995–2026
- US Supreme Court (Court) — here: Cut punitive damages to $507.5m (2008); there: Declined review of the contempt conviction (March 2023)
- Court reverses $60 million punitive award in dicamba case United States · 2015–2026
- US Environmental Protection Agency (Public authority) — here: Federal regulator in the 1991 settlement; there: Approved over-the-top dicamba use for 2026 and 2027
- Deep-sea mining: TMC, NORI, the NOAA permit and the ISA International waters (Pacific Ocean) · 2022–2026
- NOAA (Public authority) — here: Federal agency reporting on residual oil; there: US regulator receiving the application
- Diamond Shamrock Lister Avenue dioxin, Passaic River United States · 1984–1993
- US Environmental Protection Agency (Public authority) — here: Federal regulator in the 1991 settlement; there: Selected the 2016 lower Passaic remedy
- Dicamba drift (Bader Farms) and EPA re-registration United States · 2015–2026
- US Environmental Protection Agency (Public authority) — here: Federal regulator in the 1991 settlement; there: Regulator; re-registered dicamba in February 2026
- DuPont PFOA (C8) at Washington Works, Parkersburg, and the Tennant farm United States · 1981–2026
- US Environmental Protection Agency (Public authority) — here: Federal regulator in the 1991 settlement; there: Regulator; 2005 penalty
- EPA repeals 2009 greenhouse gas endangerment finding on legal grounds United States · 2026
- US Environmental Protection Agency (Public authority) — here: Federal regulator in the 1991 settlement; there: Issued the repeal
- Former EPA chief Lisa Jackson named interim chair of Conservation International United States · 2012–2026
- US Environmental Protection Agency (Public authority) — here: Federal regulator in the 1991 settlement; there: Withdrew the Range Resources emergency order in 2012
- GE ran a 'Let Nature Clean Up the Hudson' campaign against EPA dredging United States · 2009–2015
- US Environmental Protection Agency (Public authority) — here: Federal regulator in the 1991 settlement; there: Regulator that ordered and certified the dredging
- GenX chemical found in Cape Fear River, a DuPont and Chemours replacement for PFOA United States · 2009
- US Environmental Protection Agency (Public authority) — here: Federal regulator in the 1991 settlement; there: Found in 2021 that GenX was more toxic than previously thought
- Greens report: parts of German glyphosate assessment copied Monsanto file Germany · 2015–2025
- US Environmental Protection Agency (Public authority) — here: Federal regulator in the 1991 settlement; there: US regulator; former staff moved to Monsanto; Rowland remark reported
- Groningen gas field Netherlands · date not stated
- Exxon Corporation (ExxonMobil from 1999) (Company) — here: Tanker owner's parent; pleaded guilty; paid $900m civil damages and $507.5m punitive damages; there: Claimant in arbitration against the Netherlands (ExxonMobil)
- Hanford contractors settle false-claims suits as cleanup estimates rise United States · 1943–2086
- US Department of Justice (Government) — here: Prosecutor and civil claimant; there: Counterparty to the 2016 settlement
- Holcim Geocycle and brand-cement plastic co-processing Global · 2021–2026
- US Environmental Protection Agency (Public authority) — here: Federal regulator in the 1991 settlement; there: Regulator; found no meaningful climate benefit from burning plastic instead of coal in kilns (as reported)
- Kerr-McGee / Anadarko fraudulent transfer settlement United States · 2014–2015
- US Department of Justice (Government) — here: Prosecutor and civil claimant; there: Announced the settlement
- Lead paint public nuisance insurance (Santa Clara) United States · 2000–2024
- Lloyd's of London (Insurer) — here: Lead of 150+ excess insurers; refused cover, paid $780m after suit; there: Insurers (Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's) in the ConAgra and NL Industries coverage cases
- Love Canal (New York) United States · 1980–1995
- Lloyd's of London (Insurer) — here: Lead of 150+ excess insurers; refused cover, paid $780m after suit; there: Primary insurer; plaintiff in coverage actions
- Make Sunsets stratospheric balloon launches (Mexico) Mexico · 2022–2025
- US Environmental Protection Agency (Public authority) — here: Federal regulator in the 1991 settlement; there: Regulator that requested information
- McKinsey advice to COP28 presidency and fossil clients United Arab Emirates · 2011–2025
- Exxon Corporation (ExxonMobil from 1999) (Company) — here: Tanker owner's parent; pleaded guilty; paid $900m civil damages and $507.5m punitive damages; there: McKinsey client; subject of the Massachusetts document order
- Monsanto faces US bribery charge over Indonesian environmental review Indonesia · 2005
- US Department of Justice (Government) — here: Prosecutor and civil claimant; there: prosecuting authority; issued the press release
- Montrose DDT insurance case United States · 1947–2020
- US Department of Justice (Government) — here: Prosecutor and civil claimant; there: Announced the December 2000 DDT settlement
- New York appeals court sides with AIG units in PFAS coverage dispute United States · 1961–2022
- AIG (Insurer) — here: Participant in the excess programme; there: insurer whose units New Hampshire Insurance Co. and Granite State were defendants
- NextEra unit ESI Energy admits at least 150 eagle deaths at US wind farms United States · 2012–2022
- US Department of Justice (Government) — here: Prosecutor and civil claimant; there: prosecutor that described the permit policy
- Nonylphenol ethoxylates: Swiss ban and EU restriction Switzerland · 1984–2014
- US Environmental Protection Agency (Public authority) — here: Federal regulator in the 1991 settlement; there: Published the nonylphenol ethoxylate action plan
- North Atlantic right whale deaths and US vessel-speed rule withdrawal United States · 2017–2026
- NOAA (Public authority) — here: Federal agency reporting on residual oil; there: Regulator and publisher of the Unusual Mortality Event page
- Ohio HB6 bribery scandal United States · 2017–2026
- US Department of Justice (Government) — here: Prosecutor and civil claimant; there: Prosecuted; recorded a $230m payment by the company
- Papahānaumokuākea marine debris removal collected 298,180 lb in 2024 United States · 2022–2026
- NOAA (Public authority) — here: Federal agency reporting on residual oil; there: Co-funder of the 2022–2026 programme
- Paraquat bans, UK production for export and Chinese exports United Kingdom · 1989–2026
- US Environmental Protection Agency (Public authority) — here: Federal regulator in the 1991 settlement; there: Regulator; interim decision of 2021 and January 2025 announcement
- Paraquat litigation (Syngenta/Chevron) and the Paraquat Papers United States · 1958–2026
- US Environmental Protection Agency (Public authority) — here: Federal regulator in the 1991 settlement; there: Regulator; 2021 interim decision and 2025 withdrawal
- PCB pollution and the Monsanto Anniston settlement United States · 2002–2025
- AIG (Insurer) — here: Participant in the excess programme; there: Excess insurer; defendant in Bayer's suit over cover for PCB and Roundup settlements
- PFAS insurance disputes (3M, Chemours, DuPont) United States · 2020–2026
- AIG (Insurer) — here: Participant in the excess programme; there: Insurer; plaintiff against 3M; defendant in Tonoga through two subsidiaries
- PFAS water utility settlements by 3M, DuPont, Chemours and Corteva United States · 2023–2036
- US Environmental Protection Agency (Public authority) — here: Federal regulator in the 1991 settlement; there: Regulator; drinking-water limits for PFOA and PFOS
- Plastic recycling symbol, resin codes and “advanced recycling” claims (United States) United States · 1970–2026
- Exxon Corporation (ExxonMobil from 1999) (Company) — here: Tanker owner's parent; pleaded guilty; paid $900m civil damages and $507.5m punitive damages; there: Defendant in California's suit; operator of the Baytown facility; claimant in the defamation suit
- Portland Harbor Superfund cleanup plan (Willamette River, Oregon) United States · 2016–2017
- US Environmental Protection Agency (Public authority) — here: Federal regulator in the 1991 settlement; there: Regulator; issued the draft plan and the final Superfund decision
- Prestige Spain · 2002–2026
- Lloyd's of London (Insurer) — here: Lead of 150+ excess insurers; refused cover, paid $780m after suit; there: Lead hull insurer
- Producers funded 90% of EDF's 2013 methane study, HPPR reported United States · 2013
- Exxon Corporation (ExxonMobil from 1999) (Company) — here: Tanker owner's parent; pleaded guilty; paid $900m civil damages and $507.5m punitive damages; there: Producer funder of the study
- Record cites CIA file on Onassis for 1954 whaling off Peru Peru · 1954–1956
- Lloyd's of London (Insurer) — here: Lead of 150+ excess insurers; refused cover, paid $780m after suit; there: reported insurer of the whaling fine (not verified)
- Removal of the Endangered Species Act 'harm' definition United States · 2025–2026
- US Supreme Court (Court) — here: Cut punitive damages to $507.5m (2008); there: Upheld the definition in 1995 (Sweet Home); decided Loper Bright in 2024
- Rigel scuttling (Calabria) Italy · 1987–2024
- Lloyd's of London (Insurer) — here: Lead of 150+ excess insurers; refused cover, paid $780m after suit; there: Insurer named as defrauded in L'Unità
- Salem tanker Senegal (offshore) · 1979–1985
- Lloyd's of London (Insurer) — here: Lead of 150+ excess insurers; refused cover, paid $780m after suit; there: Cargo underwriters at Lloyd's (defendant Gibbs)
- Samarco Fundão dam collapse (Mariana): the settlement and the court cases Brazil · 2015–2026
- Allianz (Insurer) — here: Participant in the excess programme; there: Civil-liability insurer (about R$70m)
- Satartia CO2 pipeline rupture (Mississippi) United States · 2020–2025
- Exxon Corporation (ExxonMobil from 1999) (Company) — here: Tanker owner's parent; pleaded guilty; paid $900m civil damages and $507.5m punitive damages; there: Acquired Denbury in 2023
- Sellafield decommissioning and Hanford cleanup budgets United States · 1943–2086
- US Department of Justice (Government) — here: Prosecutor and civil claimant; there: Government party in the settled cases
- Starbase launch site, Boca Chica, Texas: environmental review, penalties and Starship debris United States · 2022–2025
- US Environmental Protection Agency (Public authority) — here: Federal regulator in the 1991 settlement; there: Federal environmental regulator; found Clean Water Act violations
- Stockholm Convention agrees chlorpyrifos phase-out with 22 uses exempted United States · 2021–2025
- US Environmental Protection Agency (Public authority) — here: Federal regulator in the 1991 settlement; there: regulator
- The Metals Company deep-sea nodule mining in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (NOAA permit route) International waters (Pacific Ocean) · 2011
- NOAA (Public authority) — here: Federal agency reporting on residual oil; there: US regulator handling the permit route
- Trans Mountain pipeline insurers (Canada) Canada · 2018–2024
- Lloyd's of London (Insurer) — here: Lead of 150+ excess insurers; refused cover, paid $780m after suit; there: Insurance market; syndicates on the 2019–20 policy
- Trump's EPA keeps Biden-era veto on Alaska's Pebble mine United States · 2023–2025
- US Environmental Protection Agency (Public authority) — here: Federal regulator in the 1991 settlement; there: Issued and reaffirmed the veto
- US bans DDT in 1972; bald eagle breeding pairs rebound United States · 1972–2019
- US Environmental Protection Agency (Public authority) — here: Federal regulator in the 1991 settlement; there: issued the 1972 DDT ban
- US bird flu indemnity and egg prices United States · 2022–2026
- US Department of Justice (Government) — here: Prosecutor and civil claimant; there: Egg-price inquiry
- US budget law cuts fossil fuel royalties and sets 4 million coal acres for leasing United States · 2025
- Exxon Corporation (ExxonMobil from 1999) (Company) — here: Tanker owner's parent; pleaded guilty; paid $900m civil damages and $507.5m punitive damages; there: Named inauguration-fund donor
- US coal ash ponds, groundwater contamination and EPA delay United States · 2015–2026
- US Environmental Protection Agency (Public authority) — here: Federal regulator in the 1991 settlement; there: Regulator
- US indictment alleges Adani solar bribery; three charges later dismissed India · 2024–2026
- US Department of Justice (Government) — here: Prosecutor and civil claimant; there: Prosecution; requested dismissal of three charges
- US power-plant sulfur emissions fell over 95%, EPA says United States · 1990–2022
- US Environmental Protection Agency (Public authority) — here: Federal regulator in the 1991 settlement; there: published the programme results
- US quits 66 international bodies including the IPCC; NOAA disaster database closed United States · 2025–2026
- NOAA (Public authority) — here: Federal agency reporting on residual oil; there: Target of the budget and staffing cuts; its disaster database was closed
- US Superfund tax and funding shortfall United States · 1980–2025
- US Environmental Protection Agency (Public authority) — here: Federal regulator in the 1991 settlement; there: Administers Superfund; reports responsible-party commitments
- Vale Brumadinho dam collapse Brazil · 2019–2027
- Allianz (Insurer) — here: Participant in the excess programme; there: Civil-liability insurer; led reinsurance consortium (press reports)