The city of North Pole is suing two recent owners of an oil refinery over groundwater pollution.
The lawsuit blames current refinery owner Flint Hills Alaska Resources and previous owner Williams Alaska Petroleum for releasing hazardous substances into the groundwater beneath the refinery.
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports the lawsuit filed Wednesday identifies sulfolane as one of the substances. The lawsuit says the contamination has made groundwater unfit for human consumption.
Flint Hills spokesman Jeff Cook says the company has no comment. Williams Alaska representatives couldn’t immediately be reached for comment on the Thanksgiving holiday.
The lawsuit says the contamination has damaged the local real estate market and development efforts, resulting in revenue losses.
