Capps Slams Attempt to Protect Big Oil From Being Held Accountable for MTBE Contaminated Drinking Water

Press Release

Today Congresswoman Lois Capps (CA-23), a senior Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and a longtime leader on the MTBE cleanup issue, released the following statement in advance of tomorrow's Environment and the Economy Subcommittee hearing on the Domestic Fuels Act of 2012 (H.R. 4345), which would dismiss with prejudice all on‐going civil lawsuits in state and federal court over fuels and all types of fuel additives including MTBE. According to the Association of California Water Agencies and California Association of Sanitation Agencies, there are approximately 10 on going court cases in California with over $100 million in damages. If these court cases are dismissed, ratepayers would have to pay for these cleanup projects.

The last time Big Oil wanted protections from MTBE lawsuits the companies were told they needed to face their responsibility and pay for cleaning up the drinking water sources that they polluted. Unfortunately, Big Oil is once again trying to push the costs of pollution cleanup onto ratepayers. We shouldn't be protecting polluters of defective products like MTBE."

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