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Show Proposal made to settle Utah Gas Service Co. dispute Taking steps to resolve a three-year antitrust dispute involving Utah Gas Service Co. and a group of its suppliers, a proposal for settlement has been made in the U.S. District Court. A hearing has been scheduled before Judge Bruce S. Jenkins in Salt Lake City on Sept. 15. Issuing the proposed settlement is the State of Utah, Stauffer Chemical Company, Rio Algom Corporation and the Board of "Education of Grand County School District. Charged with the antitrust suit are Utah Gas Service Company, including its parent Cordillera Cor-dillera Corp.; Gary Energy Corp. Chevron USA, Inc.; Mapco, Inc.; Tenneco Oil Co., Standard Oil Co. of California; Tenneco, Inc., and Amerada Hess Corp. The complaint alleges Utah Gas Service Co. and other supply companies com-panies conspired to raise, fix, stabilize and maintain the prices at which natural gas was sold. The complaint alleges that the purchasers of natural gas paid higher prices for such natural gas than would otherwise have been paid absent the alleged conspiracy. The proposed settlement would include in-clude making available natural gas sources in Wyoming and Oklahoma to Utah Gas Service Co. It would also require the charged gas suppliers to pay over $250,000 in various amounts to Utah Gas Service Co. and the plaintiffs in the case. The defendants deny any violation or liability. They contend that there was no illegal or other conspiracy and deny that the plaintiffs were injured as alleged or are entitled to any damages. . Judge Jenkins will consider whether the settlement of the action shall be approved as fair, reasonable and adequate and whether final judgements of dismissal with prejudice shall be entered against all settling plaintiffs and members of the class action. |
