Nation IN BRIEF : ALASKA : Immunity Sought by Exxon in Oil Spill
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Exxon Corp. said in federal court in Anchorage that it should be immune from prosecution on criminal charges in the 11-million-gallon 1989 Alaska oil spill because it voluntarily reported the spill. To encourage reporting of spills, federal law promises immunity in such cases. But federal prosecutors argued that, because the spill would have been discovered promptly anyway, immunity should not apply. The judge indicated that he tended to agree with prosecutors but took the matter under advisement. If convicted, Exxon faces more than $700 million in fines.
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