Water Agency Sues Firm Over Cost of Cleanup
A water quality agency filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against Aerojet-General Corp., alleging that the aerospace giant has refused to pay for ground water cleanup costs stemming from waste discharges decades ago.
The San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority’s lawsuit seeks to recover costs of a new $4.6-million ground water cleanup plant in La Puente. The agency is seeking to recover the $1.56 million it spent on the facility.
State and federal authorities have identified Aerojet-General as one of the largest responsible parties that contributed to the ground water pollution, according to the water quality agency.
It is the first such lawsuit filed by the agency under the federal Superfund law, which requires those responsible for contamination to pay for cleaning it up and allows lawsuits to recover costs for cleanup.
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