Say this for Scott Pruitt, the embattled administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency: He’s immune to irony.As we’ve reported, these are sweetheart deals that seem to be handed out like bags of Halloween candy corn to some of the most outstanding recidivist corporate scofflaws in America,Exide’s ultimate refuge is bankruptcy court.
Fans of Charles Dickens will recognize this outcome as an echo of the end of Jarndyce and Jarndyce, the everlasting chancery lawsuit at the heart of “Bleak House” — at the very moment the case was resolved, the entire estate was “found to have been absorbed in costs,” with nothing left for the ultimate heirs.The prospect of Exide’s walking away from its obligations led to a public meeting on Oct.
The bankruptcy agreement includes about $26.5 million in funding provided by creditors to clean up the site, but that’s not enough to finish the job.