[JURIST] In Thursday's environmental law news, sixteen firms, including Huffy, Lockheed Martin, Mobil Oil, and Philip Morris, have agreed to pay [EPA press release] $14.9 million for polluting groundwater in California. In 1979, a contamination plume, measuring 1 mile wide by 8 miles long, was discovered under Baldwin park in Whittier, CA. Known as the San Gabriel Valley Area 2 Superfund site [EPA backgrounder], the plume consisted of mostly rocket fuel, dry cleaning chemicals and industrial solvents. A number of companies had already settled for their role in the contamination, and this settlement includes companies that had previously refused to contribute for cleanup costs. The Whittier Daily News has more.

In other environmental law news…

• The Equitas reinsurance company settled with General Motors [corporate website] over asbestos claims on Thursday. Equitas was set up to handle liability claims made against businesses that contracted with the Lloyd's of London [corporate website] insurance company. General Motors had claims against several manufacturers of car brakes that contained asbestos. The amount of the settlement has not been disclosed. Reuters has more.
• Canadian conservative MPs on Wednesday called for the federal government to get involved in a case that will decide whether a natural gas fired power plant will be allowed to construct power lines through British Columbia's Fraser Valley. While the Sumas Energy 2 [US corporate website] owned plant would be located within the United States, 800 meters from the border, without the power line approval the plant is unlikely to be built. Some Canadian residents feel that the air pollution that will be created by the plant outweighs the benefits from any electricity they might receive from it. The case goes before the Federal Court of Canada [official website] on November 7. Canadian Press has more.