CONCORD, N.H. (AP) -- Citgo will pay the state of New Hampshire $16 million to settle a lawsuit over groundwater contamination by the gasoline additive MTBE.
Court documents filed Friday say the Attorney General's office will be in charge of distributing the funds to remediate contaminated wells and public drinking supplies.
The state filed suit against 26 petroleum companies a decade ago. Citgo and ExxonMobil were the remaining two defendants when trial began Jan. 14.
Two days into the trial, Citgo filed a request to be removed from the case, signaling settlement talks were under way.
The marathon trial continues with ExxonMobil as the sole defendant and is expected to stretch into April.
Attorneys' fees and costs will be deducted from the $16 million before it is distributed by the Attorney General's Office.
