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starttime 1237931147.92581

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SENATOR FROM NEW JERSEY.


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A SENATOR: MADAM PRESIDENT I


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ASK UNANIMOUS CONSENT THA

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FURTHER CALLING OF THE ROLL BE


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THE PRESIDING OFFICER: WITHOUT


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OBJECTION.


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A SENATOR: MADAM PRESIDENT, THIS


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IS A VERY SIGNIFICANT DAY IN


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ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY IN OUR


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WORLD, PARTICULARLY IN OUR

COUNTRY.


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MR. LAUTENBERG: AND WHILE

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DEBATE GOES ON ABOUT WHAT


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CORPORATE AMERICA HAS DONE AND


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WHAT THEY HAVEN'T DONE AND HOW

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WE SHOULD TREAT THEM IN TRYING


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TO GET OUR ECONOMY BACK ON TRACK


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AND WE'VE HEARD QUESTIONS RAISED


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ABOUT CORPORATE BEHAVIOR.


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I CAME OUT OF THE CORPORATE


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WORLD WHEN I CAME TO THE SENATE


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AND IT SEEMED TO ME THAT THINGS


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WERE DIFFERENT YEARS AGO.


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BUT OVER

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HEARD MANY IN THESE CHAMBERS


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HERE AND IN THE HOUSE OF


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REPRESENTATIVES CALL ON


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COMPANIES TO BE BETTER CORPORATE


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CITIZENS.


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AND TODAY I RISE TO POINT OUT


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WHAT MAY BE THE GREATEST


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ABANDONMENT OF CORPORATE


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CITIZENSHIP IN OUR NATION'S


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HISTORY AND THAT WAS DISPLAYED


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BY THE EXXON CORPORATION, ONE OF


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THE MOST PROFITABLE COMPANIES IN


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AMERICAN HISTORY, BUT 20 YEARS


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AGO THIS DAY O

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RAN AGROUND IN ALASKA AND STILL


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EXXON REFUSES TO LIVE UP TO THE


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OBGATIONS THAT IT OBTAINED


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WHEN THAT SHIP RAN

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IT DAMAGED THE ENVIRONMENT

SUBSTANTIALLY.


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20 YEARS AGO TODAY THE EXXON


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VALDEZ CRASHED INTO THE BLYE


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REEF IN ALASKA'S PRINCE WILLIAM

SOUND.


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THAT SHIP SPILLED


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11 MILLION GALLONS OF CRUDE OIL


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DAMAGING 1,300 MILES OF


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SHORELINE AND RUINING THE LIVES


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OF THOUSANDS OF AMERICANS.

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NOW, AS CHAIRMAN OF THE


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SUBCOMMITTEE WITH APPROPRIATIONS


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JURISDICTION OVER THE COAST


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GUARD, I WAS TAKEN BY TWO -- TO


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ALASKA BY THE COAST GUARD AND


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ARRIVED THERE THREE DAYS AFTER


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THE EXXON VALDEZ RAN AGROUND.


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TO SEE THE DAMAGES WAS
HORRIFYING.


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AND -- BUT ALSO DURING THOSE


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DAYS THERE, DURING THAT FIRST


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DA

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WORKED FOR

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DISCUSSION WE OFTEN HAVE ABOUT


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GOVERNMENT SERVANTS AND THEIR


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OBLIGATIONS, THERE, I WOULD SAY,


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HAVING COME FROM THE CORPORATE


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WORLD, THERE ARE FEW MORE


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MINDFUL OF THEIR OBLIGATIONS


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THAN THOSE WHO WORK FOR


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GOVERNMENT.


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AND THAT DAY -- THAT DAY I SAW


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FROM A HELICOPTER THAT I

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FLYING IN SO MANY OF OUR PEOPLE


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COMMITTED TO THEIR


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RESPONSIBILITIES DEALING WITH


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THE PROBLEM, BRAVE PEOPLE


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TRAVELING TO TINY ISLANDS BY


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HELICOPTER AND SMALL BOATS AND


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THEIR MISSION WAS TO SAVE THE


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WILDLIFE.


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AND I SAW MANY OF THEM UP FAIRLY


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CLOSE TAKING BIRDS AND MAMMALS


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AND YOUNG MAMMALS PARTICULARLY


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AND FISH INTO THEIR HANDS AND


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WIPING THE

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SAVE THE

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ONE BY ONE WHEREVER THEY COULD


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THEY

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LIFE.


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IT WAS DEVASTATING TO SEE.


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IT WAS OBVIOUS AS ONE LOOKED AT


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THE WATERS OF PRINCIPLE SOUND,

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BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL PLACE


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SURROUNDED BY

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ALMOST SEDUCTIVE COLOR THAT CAME


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FROM THE OIL WAS AT THE SE

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TIME DEALING OUT POISONS.


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AND PORTIONS OF MAN -- MANY


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PORTIONS OF PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND


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TODAY REMAIN CONTAMINATED.


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THE CANARY WORKERS, FISHERMEN,


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FAMILIES WHOSE LIVES DEPENDED ON


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THE

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STILL PAYING A PRICE AND THE


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LOCAL ECONOMY IS STILL REELING.


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THINK ABOUT IT.


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SO MUCH TIME HAS PASSED SINCE


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THIS BILL THAT AS

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PEOPLE INJURED BY THAT DISASTER


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HAVE ALREADY PASSED AWAY.


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THESE PEOPLE

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FULLY COMPENSATED FOR THEIR

LOSS.


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EXXON WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS


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MENACE, BUT THE

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-- BALKED AT EVERY STEP TO SHIRK


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THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES.


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EVER SINCE THE DISASTER EXXON


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HAS DEFAULTED ON ITS OBLIGATIONS


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AND A CORRATE CITIZEN AND


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REFUSED TO REPAIR ALL


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COMM

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THAT

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INSTEAD DURING ALL OF THIS


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PERIOD EXXON HAS FOUGHT TOOTH


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AND NAIL TO DEPRIVE THE VICTIMS


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OF PROPER COMPENSATION.


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SPENDING AS MUCH AS $400 MILLION


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TO ATTAIN LAWYERS AND KEEP


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THINGS BOTTLED UP IN COURT.


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EXXON TOOK ITS FIGHT ALL THE WAY

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TO SUPREME COURT AND LAST YEAR


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19 YEARS AFTER THE TRAGEDY, THE


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JUSTICES CONFIRMED THAT EXXON


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OWES PUNITIVE DAMAGES TO THE


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VICTIMS ALTHOUGH THEY AND THEIR


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SKILLFUL HORDES OF LAWYERS


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SUCCEEDED IN REDUCING THE AMO

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OF COMPENSATION.


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STILL, EVEN TODAY, 20 YEARS


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LATER, THE COMPANY CONTINUES TO


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STONEWALL THE VICTIMS BY TRYING


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TOVOID PAYING THE

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THAT FELL ON THESE CHARGES.


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EXXON'S ACTIONS ARE THE

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OF CORPORATE IRRESPONSIBILITY.


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AND AS A FORMER C.E.O. OF A


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MAJOR CORPORATION, I UNDERSTAND


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THE DRIVE TO SUCCEED, BUT


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THERE'S NOTHING MORE


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REPREHENSIBLE THAN

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EVADING ITS OBLIGATIONS TO OUR


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COUNTRY'S PEOPLE JUST TO MAKE A


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QUICK BUCK.


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TO AVOID LEGITIMATE

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RESPONSIBILITY AS GIANT FACTOR


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IN OUR ECONOMY AND SOCIAL

WELL-BEING.

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THEY HAVE THAT RESPONSIBILITY.

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EXXON HAD RECORD PROFITS LAST


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YEAR OF $45 BILLION.


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AND EVEN LAST QUARTER WHEN


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COMPANIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY

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WERE SUFFERING, THIS COMPANY,

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EXXON, POSTED A PROFIT OF NEARLY


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NEARLY $8 BILLION IN A SINGLE
QUARTER, $8 BILLION.


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NOW IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A DROP IN


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THE BUCKET FOR THIS CORPORATION


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TO FULLY COMPENSATE THE

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WHO WERE SO SEVERELY HURT.


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BUT ALL THE MONEY, ENERGY, AND


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TIME THAT EXXON HAS WASTED


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SHOULD HAVE BEEN SPENT MAKE


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LOCAL COMMUNITIES WHOLE AGAIN


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AND HELPING

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ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC


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DAMAGE DON TO ALASKA'S PRINCE


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WILLIAM SOUND.


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THE TRUTH IS EXXON NEEDS TO


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CHANGE ITS WAYS

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20th ANNIVERRY

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VALDEZ DISASSE DISASTER IS A PERFECT

OPPORTUNITY.


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MADAM PRESIDENT, ON THIS


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ANNIVERSARY WE'RE ALSO REMINDED


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HOW DANGEROUS TRANSPORTING OIL


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CAN BE, AND THAT'S WHY I'VE


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INTRODUCED A BILL THIS DAY THAT


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WILL ACCELERATE THE USE OF


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DOUBLE HULLED VESSELS BY

SHIPPERS.


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OIL SPILLS ARE ABSOLUTELY


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CATASTROPHIC TO THE ENVONMENT,


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SEASIDE COMMUNITIES, AND


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INFLUENCE WIDE GEOGRAPHIC AREAS


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BEYOND THOSE.


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AFTER EXAMINING THE CAUSES OF


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PAST SPILLS, WE'VE WRITTEN A


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BILL TO SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE THE


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POSSIBILITIES OF FUTURE SPILLS.


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SO I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THIS


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BILL PASSED BY THI CHAMBER AND


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TO WORKING WITH COLLEAGUES TO


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MAKE SURE THAT THE DISASTERS


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LIKE THE SOMEONE THAT WE SAW 20


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HAPPEN AGAIN.


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WITH THAT, I YIELD THE FLOOR,


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AND NOTE THE ABSENCE OF A
QUORUM.


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THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE CLERK


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WILL CALL