▁by ▁agree ing ▁to ▁pay ▁a ▁$ 4 ▁million ▁fine , ▁and ▁face ▁an ▁additional ▁$ 1 ▁million ▁in ▁pen alt ies ▁ann ually ▁if ▁they ▁did ▁not ▁work ▁to ▁clean ▁up ▁the ▁sp ill . ▁ ▁In ▁March ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁a ▁j ury ▁awarded ▁$ 1 5 0 ▁million ▁in ▁dam ages ▁to ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁area ' s ▁residents . ▁ ▁The ▁j ury ▁did ▁not ▁assess ▁any ▁pun itive ▁dam ages ▁in ▁the ▁case , ▁finding ▁that ▁Ex x on ▁M obil ▁did ▁not ▁act ▁fra ud ul ently . ▁A ▁separate ▁case ▁including ▁over ▁ 1 5 0 ▁property ▁own ers ▁as ▁pla int iffs ▁began ▁in ▁early ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁P un itive ▁dam ages ▁were ▁awarded ▁to ▁the ▁second ▁group ▁of ▁pla int iffs , ▁on ▁the ▁basis ▁that ▁Ex x on ▁acted ▁fra ud ul ently , ▁however ▁this ▁decision ▁was ▁later ▁revers ed . ▁ ▁Santa ▁Mon ica , ▁California ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁high ▁levels ▁of ▁M T BE ▁were ▁unexpected ly ▁discovered ▁in ▁the ▁water ▁well s ▁of ▁Santa ▁Mon ica , ▁California , ▁and ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Ge ological ▁Survey ▁reported ▁det e ctions . ▁Sub sequ ent ▁U . S . ▁find ings ▁indicate ▁tens ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁cont amin ated ▁sites ▁in ▁water ▁well s ▁distributed ▁across ▁the ▁country . ▁As ▁per ▁to x icity ▁alone , ▁M T BE ▁is ▁not ▁class ified ▁as ▁a ▁ha z ard