And if you tally up the $600,000 in unpaid taxes, the costs to the state and federal governments for the cleanup, the legal fees, the planning — "It's in the millions," he said.
In June, ChevronTexaco filed a claim with the American Arbitration Association requesting that Ecuador be held liable for cleanup costs and legal fees if the court rules against it.
For the owner living in California, she said, "it was a total loss: no rent; he had to pay legal fees, the cleanup, and he was still responsible to pay us the maintenance".
Mr. Berman said the rest of the proceeds went to expenses, including cleanup, promotion and Clearview's fee.
He is trying to persuade his fellow Republicans to boost and add new fees for environmental cleanup and water infrastructure upgrades, and he wants the Legislature to help facilitate a deal to drill an oil pipeline tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac.
Both work on commissions ranging from 15 to 40percentt and may charge additional fees for services like advertising, cleanup or insurance.
Hotels may charge $25 to $125 for having a pet stay in the hotel; the fee typically covers the cleaning of the room and other basic amenities like water and food bowls and cleanup bags.
In lead paint cases, for example, Mr. Burnham declares "everyone has a financial interest": the lead paint manufacturers, the landlords and municipalities who don't want to pay for a cleanup, and the lawyers who stand to earn high fees.
He also told me that the entry fee people pay for the full moon night goes toward the cleanup the following day, which is organized by a local business group made up of several of the beach bar owners.
The contract modification, which had been supported by the Energy Department, would have allowed Bechtel to earn up to three times the fees it receives under its current contract if it completed the cleanup by 2004 instead of 2006.
