BURBANK : Lockheed Seeks Funds From Other Firms for Cleanup

Lockheed Corp., on the hook for a massive Superfund cleanup in Burbank, has demanded financial contributions from dozens of firms it says also polluted the ground water, and is threatening to file a lawsuit next month against those who won’t pay up.

Angry and fearful of Lockheed’s legal firepower, many of these small- to mid-size businesses are undecided on whether to settle or fight, and are scrambling to determine if they have insurance coverage to meet Lockheed’s demands--which range from $50,000 to $15 million per company and total almost $70 million.

At issue is financial responsibility for purging ground water supplies of chemical solvents that over many years have seeped into the vast aquifer under the San Fernando Valley, idling Burbank’s municipal wells. Lockheed is finishing construction of a ground water treatment system that will cleanse 12,000 gallons of water per minute at a cost the company says will exceed $172 million.