[arrosenberg]

It's a failure by regulators, but when you lobby for the lax regulations, you don't get to also stick them with the blame.

> Also, what if the company has been acquired since then, is it still on the hook?

It might not be clean, but I do believe it is unambiguous. Yes, the purchaser is still on the hook, and they should check their purchase agreement for the company to see if they can seek restitution from the original owners (assuming the risk of future litigation wasn't disclosed or waived). In this case the company knew they were externalizing a toxic chemical and did it anyways, thus they are liable to the extent the law allows. The original owner is potentially liable for breach of the purchase agreement if that risk wasn't disclosed to the new owner.