[Originally published in the OTHER paper, Eugene, Oregon in September, 1998.]

A lawsuit brought against Hyundai's Eugene factory by the Sierra Club, Citizens for Public Accountability, and the Constitutional Law Foundation in May, 1995, has been settled for $250,000, according to the proposed consent decree filed in federal court July 16. $5,000 goes to the U.S. Treasury, $100,000 for legal fees to the Western Environmental Law Center which represented the plaintiffs, and $145,000 will be used for local water quality enhancement.

If approved, $72,500 of the $145,000 will go to the Lane County Audubon Society to help the City of Eugene purchase land in the Amazon Creek headwaters area for protection and enhancement of that watershed. The other $72,500 will be donated to the McKenzie River Gathering to be used for water quality projects, such as water quality or riparian restoration, purchase of riparian property, or wetlands study in the Willow Creek and Amazon sub-basins.

Also included in the terms of the settlement is Hyundai's agreement to discuss measures to control runoff pollution in any future construction with the plaintiffs' representatives.