A dozen oil companies, including BP America Inc., Chevron Corp., Shell Oil Co. and Valero Energy Corp., agreed to pay over $423 million to settle litigation with public water providers in 17 states over groundwater contamination from the gasoline additive methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE). The companies also agreed to pay cleanup costs that arise in the next 30 years. In October 2009, a federal jury in New York City found Exxon liable for contaminating water wells in and near Jamaica, Queens with MTBE and awarded the city $104.7 million in damages.