WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Justice on Jan. 19 reached a settlement with Magellan Pipeline Company L.P. for alleged Clean Water Act violations related to a fuel spill.
"Fuel spills have real and lasting impacts on clean water for communities," Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, said. "Companies need to take the necessary precautions to make sure fuel is transported safely and responsibly. This settlement puts in place important pipeline safety and spill prevention measures that make this industry safer for communities."
According to the EPA, approximately 5,177 barrels of petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, spilled from the company’s pipelines in separate incidents in Texas City, Texas, Nemaha, Nebraska and El Dorado, Kansas. In order to settle the allegations, Magellan will pay roughly $16 million in injunctive relief and $2 million in civil penalties.
“This settlement holds Magellan accountable for multiple petroleum fuel pipeline spills that impacted waterways in three states,” John C. Cruden, assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, said. “The terms of the agreement require Magellan to improve training of its staff and monitoring of its pipeline system’s integrity and increase public transparency about leaks and responses.”