The Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund wasforged in the legislative cauldron of the aftermath of theEXXON VALDEZ casualty. However, its genesis reallybegan with Congressional consideration and debateconcerning whether to adopt an international liability andcompensation regime or improve the unilateral systemunique to the United States. The Oil Pollution Act of 1990significantly expanded the scope of the unique U.S.Mechanism, while at the same time it urged theAdministration to continue to examine the possibilities ofbecoming party to an international regime. Ten years afterthe EXXON VALDEZ casualty provides a convenient andappropriate time frame for reflection on how well the publichas been served by the establishment and implementation ofthe regime of which the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund(OSLTF) is a major element. The impact on various publicsserved and stakeholders impacted will be analyzed andevaluated. While there are clearly differences in scope,application, and funding mechanisms between the U.S. andthe international regime, there are substantial similarities interms of process, administration, areas of concern andinterest.
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