LAWSUITS NEWS & LEGAL INFORMATION
Clean Water Act Violations
Washington, DC: (Apr-07-08) The US Justice Department and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) brought charges against ConocoPhillips, an international energy company, alleging that it had violations of the Clean Water Act related to over 2,000 effluent discharges from a petroleum refinery it operates in Borger, TX. The suit, filed after a complaint was filed, stated that the company violated effluent limits in its Clean Water Act permit on over 2,000 occasions between 1999 and 2006.
EPA officials said that the discharges from the facility involved two types of water pollutants, selenium and whole effluent toxicity. Experts say that effluent is wastewater and other byproduct that is discharged from refining and other industrial facilities. Whole effluent toxicity refers to the aggregate toxic effect to aquatic organisms from all pollutants contained in a facility's wastewater.
As part of a settlement reached between the company and the federal agencies, ConocoPhillips agreed to pay a $1.2 million civil penalty to resolve allegations. The deal, filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas, mandated that the company monitor surrounding waters for selenium levels, including Dixon Creek and the Canadian River, as well as for accumulation of selenium in fish tissue. Further, ConocoPhillips is required to maintain the controls that it has already put into place to minimize its selenium discharges and to correct whole effluent toxicity violations. [US ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY: CONOCOPHILLIPS PAYS $1.2 MILLION TO SETTLE CLEAN WATER ACT VIOLATIONS]
Published on Apr-9-08
EPA officials said that the discharges from the facility involved two types of water pollutants, selenium and whole effluent toxicity. Experts say that effluent is wastewater and other byproduct that is discharged from refining and other industrial facilities. Whole effluent toxicity refers to the aggregate toxic effect to aquatic organisms from all pollutants contained in a facility's wastewater.
As part of a settlement reached between the company and the federal agencies, ConocoPhillips agreed to pay a $1.2 million civil penalty to resolve allegations. The deal, filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas, mandated that the company monitor surrounding waters for selenium levels, including Dixon Creek and the Canadian River, as well as for accumulation of selenium in fish tissue. Further, ConocoPhillips is required to maintain the controls that it has already put into place to minimize its selenium discharges and to correct whole effluent toxicity violations. [
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