[thebradbain]

I’m sure that’s the case, but wouldn’t the courts be able to seize the relevant land in that case, too? Or pass some special blanket law stating any site that requires the government pay for clean up reverts to public (government) ownership?

At least in that case the government gets a lot of land back that can be sold for solar farms or, in higher density areas like Los Angeles, developed into higher uses like housing+parks?

[sroussey]

It’s not enough.

Skipping oil and going to power generation, you have the same thing. Spin off the power generator, leave it with no money, the land has negative value, go bankrupt. This has happened in Oxnard for example, and the city is trying to not have it happen again (good luck).