After nearly a decade involved with a now-scrapped co-generation project in Victorville, Calif., including half that time in legal battles with the city, engineer Carter & Burgess and its parent, Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., agreed to a $54-million settlement with officials in a closed-door session on Nov. 9.
The pact settles a lingering professional negligence lawsuit with the Southern California city, located about 80 miles northeast of Los Angeles, over the troubled plant whose costs had nearly tripled before officials halted work and liquidated plant components in 2006. "This compensates the city for 100% of the verdict judgement, plus its attorney's fees," says Glenn E. Turner, the city's Los Angeles-based attorney. Jacobs executives did not return calls for comment by ENR press time on Nov. 27.