A federal judge sided with Evanston in a pollution dispute earlier this month when he denied the defendants’ motion to dismiss the case.

Since then, the parties involved have resumed settlement negotiation and “have made substantial progress in their efforts to settle this matter,” according to a joint status report filed Wednesday.

Evanston filed a lawsuit against Chevron in March 2013, alleging the multinational energy corporation had contaminated the soil and groundwater near the former Texaco gas station in west Evanston.

The city’s amended complaint “alleges the release and migration of hazardous substances, specifically petroleum and its byproducts, from leaking underground storage tanks” underneath the former Texaco station, near the intersection of Church Street and Darrow Avenue.  

The contaminants “may present an imminent and substantial endangerment to human health or the environment” and are “known or suspected human carcinogens,” according to the city.

In addition to the Chevron Corporation, other defendants include Texaco, Inc., Chevron Environmental Management Company and E-Town Community Ventures, LLC, the current owner of the property at 1801-1805 Church St. The space was a gas station starting in 1925 and was most recently operated by Texaco. The station has been vacant since it closed in the late 1990s. Chevron and Texaco merged in 2001.

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