Environmental groups appeal $225 million Exxon settlement

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Four environmental groups want an appeals court to let them intervene in New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's $225 million settlement with Exxon Mobil over contaminated sites across the state.

New Jersey Sierra Club Director Jeff Tittel said Monday the groups are seeking additional natural resources damages.

A state Superior Court judge approved the deal last month despite earlier damages estimates of $8.9 billion.

Under law, about $50 million will go toward site cleanup. Another roughly $50 million will go toward the state's private legal costs, with the rest slated for the general fund.

FULL story at link.

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/779d091acb894e18a98e1d5227fe4ccb/environmental-groups-appeal-225-million-exxon-settlement

[Faux pas]

1. Another shady hinky

thug move by Christie. It's waaaaaaay past time for him to be taken down.

[hollysmom]

2. please let them win over this very shady deal.

[HeartoftheMidwest]

3. We need to stop the sweet deals between Pro-business governors and their rich corporate friends.

Even if the original estimate of damages is too high, and we halve it to about 5 billion dollars of damages, the amount E-Mobil should pay should be near the 5 billion dollar mark, at the VERY least. And I seriously doubt that "50 million" for cleanup would be enough for all the contaminated sites statewide.

Am really tired of pro-business governors cutting deals with big business to lower the actual payout amounts, and then taking the money intended for the "little people" who actually suffered the most, and instead using the award to balance their state budgets. This was done with settlements against Big Tobacco by the state of WI, and by numerous states with their settlements against mortgage companies like Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Countrywide, to name a few.

Kudos to the environmental groups for trying to, you know, get JUSTICE done.

[Panich52]

4. Media coverage of Pufferfish's shady deal nearly non-existant

There should be a major investigation.

('Pufferfish' is the name Rooney's campaign gave Christie f/ their VP vetting. Fitting...overblown & poisonous)