BENTON, Tenn. - The federal government said a subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum Co. has agreed to spend $40 million to protect the Ocoee River in southeastern Tennessee.
The Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency said OXY USA Inc. will pay to maintain and operate a water treatment system, prevent access by the public to contaminated water and monitor contamination in the river.
The agencies said in a news release Friday that OXY will reimburse EPA approximately $10.8 million toward past cleanup and will reimburse EPA and the state of Tennessee for overseeing work required by the settlement.
The agencies said the Tennessee Valley Authority also agreed to implement measures at its dams along a 38-mile stretch of the river to prevent contaminants from becoming airborne.
The settlement stems from the Copper Basin Mining District Superfund Site in Polk County.