Lungren Won’t Revoke Union Oil Charter

California Atty. Gen. Dan Lungren declined a request by a coalition of environmental and human rights groups to revoke the corporate charter of Union Oil Co. of California and dissolve the corporation because of alleged violations of state and international law. Unocal, the El Segundo-based parent of Union Oil, has denied that it violated any laws and had blasted the petition, filed Sept. 10, as a political move with no legal basis. A letter from Lungren’s office, dated Tuesday, gave no reason for declining the request. Loyola Law School professor Robert W. Benson, one of the authors of the 127-page petition, called the quick rejection “outrageous.” The coalition will discuss what to do next, including whether to take legal action, he said.