    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1999, Book I)]
    [March 24, 1999]
    [Page 450]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 450]]

    Statement on the Tenth Anniversary of the Exxon Valdez Oilspill
    March 24, 1999

        Ten years after the Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince William
    Sound, the lingering effects of the worst oilspill in U.S. history are a
    compelling reminder that we must be ever vigilant in the protection of
    America's natural treasures.
        The spill caused grievous damage to an extraordinary web of nature
    and to the communities and livelihoods it sustains. A decade later, the
    healing is well under way, and tough new rules ensure that our entire
    coast is better protected against the threat of oilspills. With the
    State of Alaska, we have converted the large penalty paid by Exxon into
    lasting protection for salmon streams, fragile coastline, and old-growth
    forest around Prince William Sound.
        Still, more time must pass before the communities and wildlife of
    Prince William Sound can fully recover. And some of the damage may never
    be undone. This awful disaster was a wake-up call. And we must work to
    ensure that its true legacy is a renewed commitment to protect our
    environment for generations yet to come.