Xcel Energy, railroads settle Ashland contamination lawsuit

ASHLAND, Wis. (AP) - Xcel Energy and two railroads have settled a lawsuit over contamination at the lakefront in Ashland.

Xcel says the Soo Line and Wisconsin Central have agreed to pay $10ˆ½ million to help cleanup contamination caused, in part, by a gas plant that operated near Chequamegon Bay from the late 1800s to the 1940s.

The Daily Press (http://bit.ly/1A1CGWW ) says Soo Line owned the land and operated a railroad corridor at the site from at least the 1870s through 1987 when it was acquired by Wisconsin Central. Xcel subsidiary, Northern States Power, says the settlement money is only a fraction of the total cleanup cost, estimated at $100 million.

The city of Ashland was also named as a defendant in the lawsuit. City administrator Pete Mann says Ashland has been involved in settlement talks with Xcel for about a year.

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Information from: The Daily Press, http://www.ashlandwi.com