US News

Accusations of Clean Water Act Violations at Phillips 66 Refinery in Los Angeles


Allegedly, the wastewater dump into a sewer system contained excessive oil and grease, leading to a six-count indictment against Houston-based oil giant Phillips 66 Company. This incident occurred one month after the announcement of the refinery’s closure.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced on Nov. 21 that Phillips 66 Company was facing charges for allegedly dumping wastewater containing oil and grease into the sewer system of Los Angeles where its soon-to-be-closed refinery was located.

According to a federal grand jury indictment returned on Nov. 20, the refinery violated the Clean Water Act on Nov. 24, 2020, and Feb. 8, 2021, when it discharged industrial wastewater into the sewer system for several hours.

The indictment highlighted that the refinery consists of two plants, linked by a pipeline, five miles apart in Carson and Wilmington.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office stated in a press release that the company failed to notify the sewer system operator of its noncompliant industrial wastewater discharge from its Carson facility.

The discharges reportedly contained thousands of pounds of oil and grease, significantly impacting the local sewer facility. In the November incident, the concentration of oil and grease in the wastewater was more than 300 times the permitted amount.

Phillips 66 Company is charged with two counts of negligently violating the Clean Water Act and four counts of knowingly violating the federal act.

U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada emphasized the importance of protecting the environment and holding corporations accountable for contaminating it in a statement on Thursday.

Despite the allegations, Phillips 66 reiterated its commitment to safety and expressed willingness to cooperate with the legal proceedings.

The indictment of the company came shortly after its announcement to close the Los Angeles refinery in the fourth quarter of 2025, as reported by NTD.

The U.S. Attorney’s office clarified that the case was not influenced by the refinery’s closure but was based on the evidence and readiness to present it to a grand jury.

It was revealed in the indictment that the refinery’s wastewater pretreatment system lacked the necessary controls to prevent or address the discharge effectively.

The Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts had previously notified Phillips 66 of these violations, which went unaddressed according to federal authorities.

The Phillips 66 refinery in Wilmington, Calif., on Nov. 28, 2022. The facility is linked by pipeline to another plant in Carson, five miles away. The company plans to close the facility in the fourth quarter of 2025. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

The Phillips 66 refinery in Wilmington, Calif., on Nov. 28, 2022. The facility is linked by pipeline to another plant in Carson, five miles away. The company plans to close the facility in the fourth quarter of 2025. Mario Tama/Getty Images

If found guilty, Phillips 66 could face a maximum statutory sentence of five years’ probation and fines of up to $2.4 million. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is also conducting its investigation into the incidents.

Special Agent in Charge Kim Bahney of the EPA’s criminal investigation division emphasized the severity of illegally discharging pollutants into the sewer system under the Clean Water Act.

About 900 individuals, including employees and contractors, are employed at the refinery, and the company assured support for them during the transition period.

Phillips 66 maintains that the closure of the refinery was a strategic move based on profitability factors and unrelated to any regulatory changes in the state.



Source link

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.