Santa Monica Water Treatment Plant Opening Delayed
It will be at least 2011 before Santa Monicans will have access to clean drinking water from the city's own supply. In 2003, Shell, ChevronTexaco, and ExxonMobil agreed to pay City Hall upward of $120 million for their role in the water contamination. The companies admitted to allowing methyl tert-butyl ether to contaminate the ground water.The oil companies also agreed to pay for the design, construction, and maintenance of a water treatment plant at Arcadia Wells, located in West Los Angeles. The opening of this water treatment plant, however, looks as though it will be delayed until 2011. Craig Perkins, City Hall's environmental and public works director said, "“We’re at least five years away. Everything is moving much more slowly than we would like.”
City officials and the oil companies are having difficulty agreeing as to how the water wells should be cleaned and where the treatment plant should be built. A judge and jury likely will settle the dispute after making sense of a 15-page legal services agreement. Attorney fees also are contributing to the stalemate; City Hall says it should pay the attorneys based on the value of the plant, while the attorneys think they should be paid based upon the cost and operation of the plant.
Related Links:
Legal View: Environmental Toxins
Environmental Protection Agency