(December 16, 2015, 1:41 PM EST) -- NEW YORK — ExxonMobil Corp., a defendant in the multidistrict litigation over groundwater contamination due to methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) pending in New York federal court, on Dec. 7 filed an amended answer and affirmative defenses, contending that the individual plaintiffs in the consolidated action lack standing to bring their lawsuits and do not own or have the authority to protect the groundwater resources that are the subject of the litigation (In Re: Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether Products Liability Litigation, No. 00-1898, MDL 1358, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection v. Atlantic Richfield Company, No. 08-0312, S.D. N.Y.)....