Central California City Wins $22M Against Shell Oil Over Toxic Drinking Water

CLOVIS, Calif. (AP) -- The central California city of Clovis has won a $22 million civil case against Shell Oil over the cleanup of a toxic chemical found in drinking-water wells.

The Fresno Bee reports the chemical 1,2,3-trichloropropane, or TCP, is a waste product from making plastic.

A jury on Wednesday found that Clovis residents were harmed by the design of the fumigant, that Shell did not prove the benefits of its product outweighed the risks, and that those risks were known at the time it was sold, the newspaper reported.

Shell attorney Cal Burnton told jurors that residents have not been harmed by the TCP in their water. He said that TCP has never been declared a human carcinogen. Scientific studies show it caused cancer in laboratory animals including rats.