Pipeline Company Fined More Than $400,000 for Gasoline Spill
The Magellan Pipeline Company L.P. of Tulsa, Okla., has agreed to pay a $418,000 fine in order to resolve violations of the federal Clean Water Act, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced recently.
According to the consent decree, on January 5, 2008, approximately 1,075 barrels (45,150 gallons) of gasoline leaked from Magellan’s 12-inch distribution pipeline near Oologah, Okla. The gasoline reached Four Mile Creek, a tributary of the Verdigris River, which flows into Lake Oologah. The cause of the pipeline leak was a failed weld at a coupling point.
“Pipeline owners and operators must ensure necessary steps are taken to minimize the potential of fuel spills,” said EPA Regional Administrator Al Armendariz. “EPA will pursue those who fail to comply with laws that protect our nation’s waters.”
The Clean Water Act makes it unlawful to discharge oil or hazardous substances into or upon navigable waters of the United States or adjoining shorelines in quantities that may be harmful to public health or the environment. The fine paid for this spill will be deposited in the federal Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund.
The consent decree, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma is available at http://www.usdoj.com/enrd/Consent_Decrees.html.