Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha announced that two large gasoline refiners will pay the state about $1.1 million to resolve a lawsuit alleging they caused soil and groundwater throughout Rhode Island to be polluted with a toxic gas additive. This is in addition to a $17 million agreement reached between the state and Shell, Sunoco, CITGO, Hess, Total Petrochemicals & Refining USA Inc., Marathon and Conoco, for their roles in contamination caused by methyl tertiary-butyl ether.
The lawsuits argue MBTE leaked from underground storage tanks such as those at gas stations and contaminated groundwater and soils. Rhode Island banned the use of MTBE in 2007 which is considered a probable human carcinogen. However, MTBE is still being discovered in groundwater around the state.