In case you missed it, DuPont has agreed to pay the largest environmental fine ever, $16.5 million. This is in addition to a $107 million settlement paid to settle a class action lawsuit. I like this part from the NYTimes story (Dupont to pay $16.5 million ...):
The [EPA] said DuPont had withheld information about perfluorooctanoic acid, a chemical known as PFOA that is used in processing high-performance plastics, from residents near the company's plant in Parkersburg, W.Va., where the chemical contaminated local waters. The agency said the company had information on the chemical's potential risk as early as 1981 but did not report it, as required by the federal Toxic Substances Control Act.
Stacey J. Mobley, DuPont's general counsel, said the company had interpreted the reporting requirements differently but had agreed to the settlement "to get this case behind us."
Mobley went on to explain that they thought they only had to report the contamination to George Will who had promised to distribute the information to "those who needed to know."
And, yes, I made up the above sentence. Let's all pretend that it is funny.
