Rhode Island sues oil giants over gas additive contamination

By: News Staff

The Associated Press

news@abc6.com

Rhode Island is suing 34 oil companies in federal court for using a gasoline additive that has contaminated groundwater in the state.

Attorney General Peter Kilmartin said Tuesday the state aims to recover money for the cleanup of MTBE, or methyl tertiary butyl ether.

The Democrat says he’s hired outside law firms to help, including one that worked on similar litigation in New Hampshire and Vermont.

New Hampshire sued Exxon Mobil and other oil companies in 2003 for damages to remediate MTBE contamination, saying Exxon knew it was supplying a product that is more difficult to clean up than other contaminants.

The U.S. Supreme Court said in May it wouldn’t hear Exxon’s appeal of a $236 million judgment in the case.

The additive was banned in Rhode Island in 2007.

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