State and federal officials are asking Exxon Mobil to pay more than $1.8 million in compensation for a 2013 oil spill in Arkansas.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that the state Game and Fish Commission proposed the settlement Tuesday. The funds would pay for wildlife restoration and compensate the government for damage caused when the 70-year-old Pegasus pipeline ruptured in Mayflower near Lake Conway.
The letter also asks the oil giant to fund the state's purchase of land near the lake to facilitate monitoring and management of the property.
Exxon Mobil spokesman Jeremy Eikenberry declined comment. The company settled a lawsuit last year with dozens of families whose properties were damaged.
The pipeline runs about 850 miles (1,368 kilometers) through Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri, and Texas. It was closed shortly after the spill, but a segment in Texas has since reopened.
(Source: Associated Press)
