[CPEO-MEF] Pollution lawsuit drops feds

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[New Mexico]
Pollution lawsuit drops feds
By Ollie Reed Jr.
Tribune Reporter

New Mexico has dropped the federal government from a lawsuit seeking $4
billion in damages for the pollution of groundwater in Albuquerque's
South Valley.

After a hearing in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque last week, the
state dismissed its claims against the U.S. Departments of Defense and
Energy and the U.S. Air Force.

But Sam Thompson, a spokeswoman for the state Attorney General's Office,
said the state is still pursuing its lawsuit against a dozen private
companies in the pollution case.

"The state's dismissal of the federal defendants paves the way for the
return of the lawsuit to state court where a state court jury will
decide the appropriate damages to be awarded against those parties
responsible for polluting the South Valley's groundwater," Thompson said
Tuesday.

This article can be viewed at:
http://www.abqtrib.com/archives/news02/112702_news_dismiss.shtml

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