CHICAGO — Premcor Refining Group Inc., has agreed to clean up contaminated soil and groundwater at its closed Illinois refinery site as part of a settlement with the state, bringing years of litigation to a close.
According to Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Premcor, as well as its previous owner Apex Oil Company Inc., will conduct a massive cleanup as a result of an alleged refinery spill that leaked gasoline and other petroleum products.
“The settlement with Premcor will ensure that land and water contaminated by spills from the refinery are cleaned up and the company is held responsible,” Madigan said in a statement.
Madigan's lawsuit began in 2003 after the Attorney General's Office was made aware of Apex's and Premcor's violations cited by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA). Premcor conducted its own investigations at the Illinois site and began contaminant removal that was overseen by the IEPA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, according to the attorney general.
The settlement also includes the company paying $500,000 in civil penalties and costs to the state, according to the Attorney General's Office.