NJ Senate To Vote To Reject Exxon Mobil Settlement
TRENTON, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- New Jersey's Senate is going to consider a resolution that calls for a judge to reject Gov. Chris Christie's $225 million settlement with Exxon Mobil.
Lawmakers are set to vote on a measure Monday condemning the settlement between the Department of Environmental Protection and the energy company.
Democrats who control the Legislature say the deal is worth far less than the $8.9 billion some experts valued it at and call it "grossly inappropriate, improper and inadequate.''
Last week, State Sen. Ray Lesniak, other lawmakers and residents of Linden stood in a park across a highway from the refineries to slam the settlement.
"It's not a fair deal," one resident said. "It's an insult to our community."
"More than anything else, I feel slapped in the face," another resident said. "Where is the benefit for us?
Christie has said that in addition to the proposed settlement, Exxon Mobil still carries responsibility for cleaning up the polluted sites in Bayonne and Linden.
The acting attorney general announced the deal earlier this month. The agreement must still be approved by a judge and will undergo a 30-day public comment period.
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