Superior Crude Gathering Inc., a Texas-based oil company, has agreed to pay a whopping $1.61 million civil penalty for its alleged role in a massive crude oil spill at its oil storage facility in Ingleside, Texas, in 2010.
According to court documents, Superior Crude discharged at least 2,200 barrels (or 92,400 gallons) of crude oil into an unnamed lake and wetlands near the Intracoastal Waterway and Redfish Bay on February 9 and 10, 2010. The spill was a blatant violation of Section 311 of the Clean Water Act.
The United States’ complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, also alleged related violations of the Clean Water Act’s spill prevention, control, and countermeasure regulations and spill response plan regulations.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Sam Hirsch for the Environment and Natural Resources Division emphasized the severity of the crime, stating, ‘Operators have a responsibility to prevent oil spills and protect the public and the environment through vigilance and preparation.’
EPA Regional Administrator Ron Curry added, ‘Water resources are precious, especially in Texas. We rely on businesses to be effective partners in protecting these resources, and to take responsibility when their operations harm the environment.’
Superior Crude has ceased operations at the facility, which is located within the former Falcon Refinery. The company will pay the $1.61 million penalty in addition to the costs incurred to respond to the oil spill and repair the tanks and containment areas.
The penalty will be deposited in the federal Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund managed by the National Pollution Fund Center. The fund is used to pay for federal response activities and to compensate for damages when there is a discharge or substantial threat of discharge of oil or hazardous substances to waters of the United States or adjoining shorelines.
The proposed consent decree is subject to a 30-day public comment period and court review and approval. A copy of the consent decree is available on the Justice Department’s website.
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