CHEMICALS

Ashland Settles Environmental Suit: Ashland Inc. agreed to a $1.1-million settlement of a lawsuit filed by As You Sow, a Northern California-based environmental group. The suit, filed in January 1995 in Superior Court in San Francisco, charged Ashland’s Dublin, Ohio-based Ashland Chemical Co. unit with violating California’s Toxic Enforcement Act, Hazard Communications Standard and the Unfair Trade Practices Act, which require companies that sell toxic chemicals in California to warn workers and consumers about the risks of using a product. Under the settlement, Ashland would pay $200,000 to California environmental groups. The company is also liable for $400,000 in penalties and attorney and court fees.