Katie Couric Notebook: Exxon Valdez

(AP Photo/Rob Stapleton, File)

But if you dig a little deeper, that pristine picture begins to fade.

While the vast majority of crude was cleaned up, researchers estimate 21,000 gallons remain. The spill killed as many as a half million birds and devastated sea life. Some species have come back, but others, such as otters and killer whales, continue to struggle.

So do the human victims who lost their livelihoods. Court appeals slashed the punitive damage award against Exxon to just ten percent of the original five billion dollars. That's just $15,000 per plaintiff -- and some are still waiting for checks.

The oil that stained the wilderness a generation ago continues to darken their lives. And they say it will for generations to come.

That's a page from my notebook.