Water polluters told to pay $178 million

Water polluters told to pay $178 million

FRESNO – Three chemical manufacturers were ordered to pay Modesto $178 million for contaminating its water with suspected carcinogens.

Jurors in San Francisco Superior Court found that the companies acted with malice because they failed to tell dry cleaners how to use the chemicals perchloroethylene or trichloroethylene without harming the environment.

The jury levied more than $175 million in punitive damages late Tuesday and $3.2 million in actual damages for groundwater contamination.

Vulcan Materials Co. was ordered to pay $100 million in punitive damages, Dow Chemical Co. was ordered to pay $75 million and RR Street & Co. Inc. to pay $75,000.

Associated Press

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060615/news_1n15region.html (and scroll down)

a dime. And now they're claiming they can't afford to pay such a large settlement.