Maryland Moves Toward Suing Oil Industry on Ground Water Contamination

"Following the lead of several other states, Maryland is preparing to sue the oil industry for the costs of cleaning up a one-time gasoline additive that’s contaminated   water across the state.

Maryland’s Board of Public Works approved Wednesday a plan by Attorney General Brian E. Frosh to hire a trio of outside law firms to seek damages from gasoline marketers and refiners for using methyl tertiary butyl ether, or MTBE, in motor fuel sold in the state.

The law firms — Berger & Montague of Philadelphia, Miller & Axline of Sacramento, CA, and the Law Offices of John K. Dema of Rockville — were chosen to represent Maryland in the MTBE litigation after state lawyers reviewed proposals from four different legal teams."

Tim Wheeler reports for the Bay Journal January 28, 2016.