1
 Exxon Corp. filed suit against the state of Alaska,
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 charging 
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attribution

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state officials interfered with the oil company's initial efforts 
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to treat last spring's giant oil spill.
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elaboration-object-attribute-e

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 The action is a counterclaim to a suit 
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filed by Alaska in August against Exxon and six other oil companies.
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elaboration-object-attribute-e

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 The state's suit alleges 
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attribution

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that Exxon's response to the spill failed to prevent contamination of hundreds of miles of shoreline along Prince William Sound.
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 That suit and Exxon's countersuit were filed in a state court in Anchorage.
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 Neither suit lists specific dollar claims, 
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largely because damage assessment hasn't yet been completed.
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circumstance

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 Legal strategists say 
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attribution

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that damage claims against the oil giant and others could well exceed $1 billion.
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 Litigation, 
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Same-Unit

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if not settled out of court, 
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condition-e

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could drag on for years.
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 Exxon said in its suit 
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attribution

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that it will seek reimbursement from the state for that part of the cleanup costs and damage claims 
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it says 
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attribution

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resulted from the state's conduct.
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 The oil company claims 
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that Alaskan officials prevented Exxon from spraying dispersant onto the almost 11 million gallons of oil 
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dumped 
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when one of its tankers ran into an underwater reef.
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circumstance

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 Craig Tillery, an Alaska assistant attorney general, said in an interview last night 
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attribution

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that Exxon's accusations are not new.
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 Exxon has made them before, 
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at which point the state demonstrated 
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they were untrue.
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 The state will vigorously defend against any counterclaim.
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 Since the spill last March, Exxon and the state have been wrangling over whether spraying dispersant on the oil in the first hours after the spill,
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 when the weather was clear and calm, 
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would have helped limit the environmental damage.
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 Exxon claims 
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that use of dispersants, 
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36
which break an oil slick into microscopic droplets,
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definition-e

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 was a crucial part of its immediate-response plan 
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Same-Unit

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and that state officials banned their use during the two days of fair weather 
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following the spill.
38
temporal-after

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 The oil company claims 
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attribution

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that it had permission from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency prior to the spill 
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42
to use dispersant during such an incident at the discretion of the U.S. Coast Guard.
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 The state's opposition to the use of dispersants, 
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Exxon says, 
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attribution-e

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caused the Coast Guard to delay granting permission.
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 Alaskan and Coast Guard officials say 
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attribution

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Exxon's charges aren't relevant 
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because tests 
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conducted during the first two days 
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following the spill 
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temporal-after

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showed 
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that the dispersant wasn't working anyway. 
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Use of dispersants was approved 
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when a test on the third day showed some positive results, 
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officials said.
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elaboration-additional

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summary-n

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elaboration-additional

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summary-n

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