Chemical companies that created the world's largest DDT dump will pay $73 million to help restore the ocean environment off Southern California, according to a court settlement filed Tuesday.
The settlement brings to a close a decade-long legal saga in which the government sought to win hundreds of millions of dollars to deal with DDT that has lingered for half a century on the ocean floor off the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
Now the state and federal government will begin the long process of trying to heal the ecological wounds inflicted by the 100-ton pesticide deposit.
"This agreement resolves one of the most damaging chapters in California's environmental history," said Gov. Gray Davis. "It is an important step toward addressing the mistakes of the past, restoring the splendor of our ocean environment and protecting the public health of all Californians."
U.S. Assistant Atty. Gen. Lois Schiffer said the settlement "ends years of acrimonious litigation" and "gives a critical boost" to ridding California's coastal environment of an old contaminant that is harmful to wildlife and people.
Other parties in the case--led by the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts--had already settled, bringing the total to $136.7 million, plus interest, that will be spent to help repair Southern California's marine ecosystem. In addition, the companies and local governments agreed to pay a total of $8.6 million to the EPA for onshore contamination around the Los Angeles plant where Montrose Chemical Corp. manufactured the DDT.
The $145-million total is one of the largest payments in the nation for a natural resource case.
Montrose and the other companies negotiated the settlement midway through their trial after U.S. District Judge Manuel L. Real issued their defense some major setbacks.
In addition to Montrose, the companies are Chris-Craft Industries, a 50% shareholder in Montrose, Aventis CropScience USA, and Atkemix Thirty-Seven, which were owners and operators of the plant.
In a consent decree filed Tuesday, the companies called the settlement "fair and equitable" but they denied liability and did not admit any of the government's charges in the case.
"The reason for the settlement is to put an end to a decade of costly and resource-intensive litigation," said Los Angeles attorney Peter Simshauser, who represents Chris-Craft.
