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"Exxon Mobil profits should clean up Newtown Creek" - Borough President Marty Markowitz

"Exxon Mobil should stop evading responsibility for the largest oil spill in history and use some of its record profits to clean up Newtown Creek," said Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, responding to reports of Exxon's record $31.1 billion earnings in 2005. The borough president filed suit against the oil giant in November to force the cleanup of a 17 million gallon oil spill that stretches for 55 acres under Brooklyn near Newtown Creek, in Greenpoint. "Brooklyn's waterfront is one of our most precious resources," Markowitz said. "Rather than spend years dragging its feet in court while the oil spill gets bigger, Exxon Mobil should settle this lawsuit now, by agreeing to do the right thing - permanently remove the oil and stop the leak, which is larger than the Exxon Valdez disaster." Heavy unrefined oil is visibly leaking into and contaminating the creek, which separates Brooklyn and Queens. Council Members David Yassky and Eric Gioia joined the borough president in his lawsuit, brought under the federal Clean Water Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act."