In a high-stakes case that has pitted dozens of academic researchers against one another, the federal government announced today that it would seek an additional $92-million from the Exxon Mobil Corporation to pay for the damages stemming from the Exxon Valdez oil spill that researchers did not anticipate in 1991, when Exxon settled a civil lawsuit over the 1989 disaster with four federal agencies and the State of Alaska for $900-million.

The 1991 settlement left open the possibility of the government’s recouping an additional $100-million for unforeseen damages, which government-backed researchers say they have documented and Exxon-backed researchers say they have disproved.

Government researchers have found extensive Exxon Valdez oil lingering on the beaches in and around Alaska’s Prince William Sound, and they have concluded that populations of certain animals have not recovered. Exxon researchers say the lingering oil is so protected that it could not possibly still affect animals. (Exxon readily admits that the oil harmed the animals immediately after the spill.)

Each side in the research fight has accused the other of financial bias, and each side has spent millions on research (The Chronicle, September 24, 2004).

Along with the new bid for money, the government presented a plan for cleaning up the ecosystem. Exxon Mobil has 90 days to respond to the request for additional funds.