Exxon Mobil Corp urged the US Supreme Court to overturn the $2.5 billion fine for the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill off Alaska, arguing it should not be punished for the mistakes of the ship's captain.
But the lawyer said that Captain Joseph Hazelwood had a drinking problem, and the US oil major had overlooked numerous reports about it.
Exxon Mobil's lawyer Walter Dellinger told the high court the company already has paid $3.4 billion for the spill and cannot be held liable for additional punitive damages under federal maritime law.
The spill spread oil on more than 1,900km (1,200 miles) of coastline, closed fisheries and killed thousands of marine mammals and hundreds of thousands of sea birds.
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Exxon Mobil Tries to Overturn Valdez Fine
The spill spread oil on more than 1,900km of coastline, closed fisheries and killed thousands of marine mammals and hundreds of thousands of sea birds
