When the Exxon Valdez ran aground in in Alaska in 1989, it quickly became one of the century's greatest environment disasters. An estimated 1,200 miles of coastline were dirtied and hundreds of thousands of birds and mammals died as a result.
Attention quickly turned to the tanker's captain, Joseph Hazelwood, and that, amazingly and sadly, turned attention to Long Island. Hazelwood was a resident of Huntington and the protracted story that unfolded brought Huntington far more than its usual share of national and international attention.
The wheels of justice grind slowly, they say, and wheels took a few more turns Monday as the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to consider the appeal from the company, now Exxon Mobil.
Hazelwood has slipped below the radar. In the late 90s, he was still living and working in the metropolitan area, but it's not clear whether he's ever resumed his Huntington life.
Here's news of the Supreme Court action, as well as a fascinating Time magazine special report from 1989 about Hazelwood, his local ties and the case in which he became embroiled:
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/071029/scotus_exxon_valdez.html
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,958192-4,00.html
--Noel Rubinton