Attorney General Tries to Spin Exxon Sellout

For Immediate Release

March 5, 2015

Contact Jeff Tittel 609-558-9100

Attorney General Tries to Spin Exxon
Sellout

Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman and DEP Commissioner Martin confirmed the Exxon Mobile settlement New Jersey for now $225 million, instead of the original $8.9 billion, for the contamination and loss of more than 1,500 acres of wetlands, marshes, meadows, and waters. This now includes 16 sites not just the two refineries. This case was filed in 2004 by the Mc Greevey administration for the damage Exxon mobile has done to statewide. The New Jersey Sierra Club had worked and supported the McGreevy Administration on this case. Years of oil refining and other petrochemical operations led to the contamination and damage to the land and environment. In response to Acting Attorney General Hoffman's statement New Jersey Sierra Club Director Jeff Tittel released the following statement:

"Attorney General Hoffman should be ashamed of himself. This is more spin and misinformation than we've ever seen. He's trying to justify the unjustifiable. This case not only hurts the environment, but it rips off the taxpayers of New Jersey. It is the biggest giveaway of taxpayer money in state history. It gives away billions of dollars money from the people of New Jersey. These lands were held in the public trust. The Governor and the Attorney General have violated that trust. This is a shameful manipulation of the judicial system. Instead of protecting the environment and the taxpayers, the Christie Administration wants to protect Exxon. Exxon onetime broke a record making over $40 billion in one quarter, I guess the Christie Administration wants them to break that record at the expense of New Jersey taxpayers."

"The Attorney General's statement is a snow-job in a middle of a blizzard. This is outrageous abuse of power by the administration selling out the environment and the tax payers of New Jersey. This is a case that New Jersey was going to win, but the Christie Administration decided to sell out the people of New Jersey. They settled this case for pennies on the dollar. Instead of going to court and getting $9 billion the tax payers of New Jersey are only going to get $225 million. This is a complete giveaway to corporate polluters. The pollution on this site from Exxon was "staggering" according to Christie Administration court filed brief. All along the judges were ruling in favor of New Jersey. The administration had no reason to settle, other than balancing the budget and giving away the store to Exxon at the expense of New Jersey's environment."

"Under New Jersey law the public has the right to be compensated for the loss of public resources. By settling this case the Governor has violated that public trust. Under the budget language, Natural Resources Damages exceeding $50 million can be used for budget shortfalls. This means that out of the $250 million from the settlement, the Administration can take $175 million to fund the general fund. The Christie Administration has settled this case fast to be able to use this money to help balance their budget. This settlement is just like the Passaic River dioxin settlement last year. The administration settled the case for what should have been a $2 billion judgment, settling for $190 million then diverting $150 million to plug a hole in the budget. We are concerned that they are going to take this settlement money again to balance the budget, instead of using the money for environmental restoration or to help the people damaged by this pollution. The only reason they can't take this money from this year's budget is because groups like the Sierra Club will sue. If we appeal, it would take more time for them to steal the money."

"This is a bigger scandal than Bridgegate. Bridgegate was about retribution: this settlement is costing the taxpayers billions of dollars. When you sell out the public and let the polluters off the hook, it sends a message that you can get away with anything in the Christie Administration. There needs to be an investigation because it looks like the Attorney General is involved in a cover-up not a clean-up. With this settlement, Governor Christie is saying to polluters it is open season in New Jersey. Under the Christie administration enforcement has gone done by 60% and fines have been cut by 2/3. The Governor is more concerned about taking care of corporate polluters, his national political agenda and the Koch Brothers than he is about the people of New Jersey. This looks like Governor Christie's push to run for President since he cares more about Big Oil than the environment or taxpayers," said Jeff Tittel, Director of The New Jersey Sierra Club.