Jury finds Exxon Mobil liable for $236.4 million in pollution suit

LITTLETON, New Hampshire (Reuters) - A New Hampshire jury on Tuesday found Exxon Mobil Corp liable for $236.4 million in a civil lawsuit that charged the oil company had polluted groundwater in the state with a gasoline additive, a lawyer for the state said.

The jury found Exxon liable after less than two hours of deliberations, said Jessica Grant, who represented New Hampshire in the suit, brought in state court.

Exxon Mobil said it planned to appeal the decision.

"We have strong legal and factual arguments to make on appeal and look forward to making our full case," Rachael Moore, a spokeswoman for the company.

Several other oil companies had been named in the suit but settled before trial.

(Reporting by Jason McLure, writing by Scott Malone; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick)