After more than a decade of litigation by New Hampshire (NH) versus Exxon, et al., the U.S. Supreme Court this week declined to take the company’s appeal of a $236 million jury verdict in favor of NH. With the legal battle over, 90 percent of the verdict plus interest, after fees and costs, will go to the NH Drinking Water and Groundwater Trust Fund signed into law by Governor Hassan in March. The Fund ensures verdict dollars are directed to removing MTBE contamination and ongoing cleanup.
In a press release, ECOS member Commissioner Tom Burack of NH notes, “This legacy fund will provide the resources and mechanisms necessary to implement a comprehensive strategy to ensure that MTBE contamination is identified and remediated, and that existing public and private water supplies are protected against future contamination,” and “will play a major role in providing safe, clean drinking water for all of our citizens for many years to come.”
