Penalizing

The U.S. Supreme Court Monday said it will review a lower court’s decision penalizing Houston-based Southern Union Co. $18 million for illegally storing a hazardous waste, mercury, without a permit in Rhode Island.

California regulators Thursday conditionally approved a $3.5million settlement penalizing Southern California Gas for itshandling of the proposed sale and use of eminent domain powersrelated to one of its small, discontinued Los Angeles-areaunderground storage fields in the LA suburb of Montebello, CA. Thelarge utility company admitted no wrongdoing and is avoiding what,by its own admission, could be the substantially larger costs ofprotracted litigation.