ABSTRACT
Litigation Litigation is the civilized remedy of last resort for environmental disputes. The litigation process is often costly, slow, and potentially injurious to the reputations of individuals and firms. Litigation over the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill is a case in point. In 2009, 20 years after the incident, litigation continued over such things as interest payments on the $507 million in yet-to-be-paid punitive damages. Exxon has already paid over $3.4 billion for cleanup, compensation, settlements, and fines, and suffered a considerable loss in consumer confidence.
