Assemblywoman Annette Quijano (D-Union) issued the following statement Friday on reports that the Christie administration has agreed to a $250 million settlementwith Exxon Mobil for decades-worth of damage done to sensitive environmental areas after the state originally sought $8.9 billion in compensation:
“This figure seems extremely low given the initial damages sought, as well as the irreparable harm that has been done to our environment over the years.
“Residents in my district and the surrounding areas have seen their quality of life altered by damage that will likely never be undone – contaminated ground water, petroleum-slicked marshlands, ‘sludge lagoons.’ This settlement figure does not even come close to restoring these lands to their natural state.
“It’s confounding as to why the state would settle for such a low figure after all the time and resources spent litigating this case over a decade and with the judge expected to rule soon.”