Oil Company Agrees to $9.1-Million Settlement
ChevronTexaco Corp. has agreed to pay $9.1 million to settle a lawsuit brought by this small California town, which accused the petroleum giant of contaminating its water supply with a suspected carcinogen, officials said Friday.
After a three-year dispute over the contaminated wells, officials in Cambria, a coastal tourist town of 6,400 about 160 miles north of Los Angeles, approved the settlement Friday, a spokeswoman for the Cambria Community Service District said.
Ed Spaulding, a spokesman for ChevronTexaco, said the company was pleased to have ended the litigation.
“We think this is a positive step in ChevronTexaco’s efforts to fulfill our responsibilities in Cambria,” he said.
The company asked that a portion of the settlement go toward creating a hike-and-bike trail in the tourist haven.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
