PG&E Hinkley Compressor Plant, California

This plant is located along the natural gas pipeline that runs through the Mojave, part of a nationwide network that distributes gas throughout the United States and Canada. This portion of the pipeline is owned and operated by Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), one of the nation's largest utility companies, based in San Francisco. In the early 1990's, PG&E was accused of having knowingly contaminated the groundwater with a toxic form of chromium, which it used to prevent corrosion in the pipeline. This accusation led to one of largest environmental settlements to date (around $333 million), paid to area families and plant workers made sick by the contamination. An account of this story was presented in the 2000 film Erin Brockovich. Similar suits have been filed against the company for contamination at some of its other compressor stations along the pipeline, at Topock and at Kettleman, where Brockovich has also been involved.