Attorney General Gansler Announces Maryland Department of the Environment Settlement with ExxonMobil, $4 Million Civil Penalty
Consent Decree Requires Site Cleanup and Further Penalties for Delays

BALTIMORE, MD (September 15, 2008) – Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler today announced the settlement of a lawsuit against ExxonMobil Corporation for contamination at its Jacksonville Service Station. The complaint, filed in April 2006 in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County, was for the release of more than 25,000 gallons of gasoline at Exxon Mobil’s Jacksonville Service Station in Baltimore County early 2006.

The $4 million civil penalty is the largest environmental penalty ever levied by the State. “Not only does the consent decree ensure a swift cleanup of this pollution, it also serves as a clear warning to polluters that doing so will come with a heavy price,” said Attorney General Gansler. “We will continue to vigorously enforce the laws that protect our environment.”

The consent decree requires ExxonMobil to complete remediation at the site and pay a $4 million civil penalty with the potential for further penalties of up to $1 million per year if the company fails to comply with a strict cleanup schedule. The contamination is the result of an underground pipe that was leaking gasoline into the ground for over one month in early 2006.

“ The contamination at ExxonMobil’s Jacksonville site violates the laws put in place to protect the public and our environment,” said Attorney General Gansler. “This consent decree is a significant victory for the environment and for the residents of Northern Baltimore County who have had to live with this contamination for too long.”

ExxonMobil reported the spill in February 2006 and began remedial actions immediately after discovering the leak.