New Jersey Governor and presidential hopeful Chris Christie just quietly settled a $8.9 billion oil contamination lawsuit against Exxon Mobil Corporation for just pennies on the dollar. Now, he's working to divert settlement funds away from environmental cleanup efforts. According to The New York Times:
"If the settlement is completed, it is possible that some or even none of the money would go toward environmental costs in the Exxon case."
It gets worse: Governor Christie has threatened to veto efforts by lawmakers to ensure that more money goes to environmental restoration.
Exxon's activities rendered more than 1,500 acres of wetlands, marshes, meadows and waters in northern New Jersey unusable. Its oil operations have destroyed vital wildlife habitat and threatened clean water.
Demand responsible leadership from this presidential hopeful. Sign the petition now and tell Governor Chris Christie that all monies for the Exxon settlement should go to where they belong: cleaning up Exxon's mess.
Governor Christie,
I am deeply concerned by your administration's settlement efforts in the 2004 litigation against Exxon Mobil Corporation. The company's operations rendered more than 1,500 acres of wetlands, marshes, meadows and waters in northern New Jersey, costing the state billions.
Without question, these operations destroyed vital wildlife habitat and threatened clean water. By accepting such a low settlement, you have not only hobbled environmental restoration, but also weakened the settlement's value as a preventive tool to discourage reckless industry.
Even more concerning is your insistence that only the bare minimum from the settlement be directed to to cleaning up and restoring the toxic sites that Exxon's actions have created.
As you consider a run for the presidency, I want you to know that Americans like me care about responsible leadership and that we care about environmental stewardship. These actions raise serious concerns about your ability to deliver on either of these important values.
[Your comments here]
Sincerely,
[Your name]
