The government sued Exxon Mobil Oil Corporation for recovery of damages for destruction of natural resources in South Carolina caused by the release of hazardous substances—including arsenic, copper, lead, mercury and zinc—into the soil, surface water, and groundwater at nine sites around the state Exxon operated as phosphate fertilizer plants. The claims were filed under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the South Carolina Hazardous Waste Management Act. Exxon agreed to pay the federal and South Carolina governments a total of $6.6 million.