ConocoPhillips pays $1.2m environmental penalty

07 April 2008 22:52  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (ICIS news)--ConocoPhillips will pay a $1.2m (€768,000) civil penalty to resolve environmental violations at a 146,000 bbl/day Texas refinery in Borger, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said on Monday.

ConocoPhillips violated effluent limits in its Clean Water Act permit on over 2,000 occasions between 1999 and 2006, according to the EPA.

The EPA said the water discharges involved two types of pollutants - selenium and whole effluent toxicity. Whole effluent toxicity refers to the toxic effect on aquatic organisms from all pollutants contained in a facility's wastewater.

ConocoPhillips brought the refinery into compliance for both these pollutants after the US took enforcement action, the EPA said.

A US court consent decree requires ConocoPhillips to monitor surrounding waters for selenium levels. ConocoPhillips will also pay an estimated $600,000 to reduce solids discharged into local waterways during storm events.

The settlement was also signed by WRB Refining, the current owner of the ConocoPhillips-operated refinery.

($1 = €0.64)

By: Brian Balboa
+1 713 525 2653

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