AT&T has agreed to pay $25 million to settle charges the company failed to properly maintain a network of underground storage tanks throughout
California. KPBS Reporter Erik Anderson has details.
The settlement stems from a lawsuit filed in state court in San Joaquin by California Attorney General Bill Lockyer, six district attorneys including Bonnie Dumanis and one city attorney, Mike Aguirre. Attorney General spokeswoman Teresa Schilling says AT&T had violations at 531 underground facilities Statewide and nearly 50 of the systems that were not in compliance were used for motor fuel.
Schilling: "When AT&T did find there were problems, they either didn't tell safety regulators about it or they flat out didn't fix them."
The suit charged AT&T with 17 violations of the state's health of safety code and unfair competition law. The Attorney General recently settled a similar case with British Petrolum Arco for more than $45 million. Erik Anderson KPBS News
