New Hampshire Sues 22 Oil Companies Over MTBE

Date: October 1, 2003

Source: News Room

The state of New Hampshire has filed a lawsuit against 22 oil companies, charging that widespread water pollution exists in the state as a result of the gasoline-additive MTBE. The lawsuit asks that the oil companies, which include Exxon Mobil Corp. and ChevronTexaco Corp., pay for the cleanup of the state's water supplies contaminated by the fuel additive. "MTBE has become a significant and costly threat, especially to the underground aquifers that most of us rely upon for drinking water," New Hampshire Attorney General Peter Heed said in a statement. MTBE is used in roughly a third of the nation's gasoline to cut smog emissions, but it has drawn serious criticism in recent years because of its potential to pollute groundwater. California, New York, and Connecticut, among other states, have mandated bans on MTBE.

Sign up to receive our free Weekly News Bulletin