Tugboats pull the Exxon Valdez off Bligh Reef in Alaska’s Prince William Sound on April 5, 1989.
WASHINGTON (CNN) — Nearly 20 years after one of the most infamous environmental disasters scarred Alaska’s Prince William Sound, the Supreme Court stepped nearer Wednesday to perhaps providing a measure of closure for the seemingly endless litigation over the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
The justices heard arguments on whether a $2.5 billion punitive damages award against the energy giant for its role in the 1989 maritime accident was excessive.