[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 35, Number 12 (Monday, March 29, 1999)]
[Pages 514-515]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on the Tenth Anniversary of the Exxon Valdez Oilspill in 
Prince William Sound, Alaska

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.

[[Page 515]]