Mobil Pays City $100,000 in Water Case

Mobil Oil Co. has paid Santa Monica more than $100,000 after the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board ordered the company to reimburse the city for the cost of replacing its tainted water supply.

Santa Monica had to close two city water wells last fall after finding that chemicals had seeped into the ground water from underground gas tanks.

Mobil sent the city a check last week for $1,000 less than the amount required by the regional board in an effort to reserve its rights to appeal the order, according to a letter from Mobil accompanying the check. Mobil is petitioning for a review, arguing that the board lacks authority to force the payments.

The oil company also argued in the letter that Santa Monica is blocking access to data about the contamination and overestimating the cost of piping in replacement. Mobil officials could not be reached for comment Friday.

City officials denied the company’s charges. “That’s just totally disingenuous,” said city spokesman Jack Nicholl. “We’ve been providing as much information as we can as quickly as possible.”