Phillips 66 charged with dumping oil into Los Angeles wastewater
A federal grand jury has charged energy company Phillips 66 with illegally dumping large quantities of oil into Los Angeles’s sewer system and failing to report the issue.
The Justice Department announced Thursday that a grand jury issued a six-count indictment against the firm for allegedly discharging “hundreds of thousands of gallons” of industrial wastewater from its Carson oil refinery into Los Angeles County’s sewer system.
Specifically, the company is accused of two incidents of significant dumping in 2020 and 2021.
In November 2020, the company allegedly dumped 310,000 gallons of industrial wastewater containing 64,000 pounds of oil and grease into the sewer system over a 2.5-hour period. This amounts to more than 300 times the concentration of oil and grease allowed under Phillips 66’s permit, according to the Justice Department.
It is accused of releasing another 480,000 gallons of wastewater, containing at least 33,700 pounds of oil and grease, over a 5.50-hour period in February 2021.
If convicted on all charges, Phillips 66 faces up to $2.4 million in fines and five years of probation.
In a statement, the company did not directly say whether it committed the violations it has been accused of.
“Phillips 66 will continue its cooperation with the U.S. Attorney’s office and is prepared to present its case in these matters in court,” according to a statement shared by spokesperson Thaddeus Herrick.
“The company remains committed to operating safely and protecting the health and safety of our employees and the communities where we operate,” the statement said.
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