California IN BRIEF : SANTA ANA : Unocal Settles on Pollution Charges

Unocal Corp. paid a $903,846 settlement to avoid civil prosecution for allegedly violating a major pollution law at more than half of its service stations in Orange County, prosecutors said. The Los Angeles-based oil company endangered public health and water supplies by failing to check for leaks and obtain necessary permits for underground gas tanks at 72 of its 143 stations in the county, Dist. Atty. Michael R. Capizzi alleged. Deputy Dist. Atty. Christopher Kralick said the fine is believed to be the largest in Southern California, and probably in the state, paid by an oil company to resolve an underground storage tank case. Unocal officials denied committing all of the alleged violations.