NYC groundwater verdict against Exxon is upheld
Jul 26, 2013, 8:49 PM
NEW YORK (AP) – A federal appeals court has upheld a $105 million verdict against Exxon Mobil for contaminating New York City’s groundwater.
The city sued Exxon Mobil for the costs of removing a gasoline additive known as MTBE from drinking wells in Queens.
The city argued that the company ignored warnings from its own scientists and engineers not to use the additive in areas that use groundwater for drinking.
A federal jury in Manhattan ruled in favor of the city in 2009. The U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that verdict Friday.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg says the verdict should be a warning to any company whose actions threaten New Yorkers’ health and quality of life.
A spokesman says Texas-based Exxon Mobil will appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
