Sunoco to Pay $2.2M to Settle Waste Cleanup Allegations

BOSTON -- Sunoco Inc. will pay $2.2 million to settle allegations that it sought Massachusetts funds for hazardous waste cleanups, while at the same time, receiving insurance money for the same projects, the Associated Press reported.

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley issued a statement this week stating that the Philadelphia-based oil company received money from a state fund intended to quicken the cleanup of environmentally dangerous leaks from underground storage tanks.

Although it was lawful to seek state monies for the cleanup, Coakley said Sunoco did not disclose that it also received insurance settlements for the same purpose from 1997 to 2001.

As part of the agreement, Sunoco will pay $970,000 to Massachusetts' cleanup fund and $1.23 million to the state's general fund, according to the news outlet.

In a statement, Sunoco said it had cooperated fully during the investigation and is "pleased to have resolved" the matter.