SANTA ANA, Calif.—Shipping companies have agreed to pay $45 million to thousands of Southern California fishermen, tour companies, and property owners who sued after an offshore oil spill sent crude washing ashore, attorneys said Thursday.
A tentative settlement was reached after months of negotiations between the MV Beijing and MSC Danit and their associated companies and the businesses and residents who sued them, the plaintiffs’ lawyers said in a statement.
A federal judge still needs to sign off on the agreement for it to take effect.
“Nobody deserves this more than the citizens of Orange County and the coastal community to have this matter resolved quickly,” said Wylie Aitken, co-lead counsel for the plaintiffs, which include businesses that provide surf lessons and leisure cruises and shops that sell swimwear and fishing bait….