By Andrew Sheeler
The Sacramento Bee
Sacramento, Calif. — A federal grand jury in Los Angeles voted to indict Texas-based oil refiner Phillips 66 for allegedly dumped hundreds of thousands of gallons of industrial wastewater from its Carson refinery into the Los Angeles County sewer system and then failing to report it, according to a Thursday statement from the U.S. Department of Justice.
The corporation faces two counts of negligently violating the federal Clean Water Act and four counts of knowingly violating the Clean Water Act.
If convicted on all counts, the company could face a maximum of five years of probation for each count and up to $2.4 million in fines.
The federal indictment alleges that on Nov. 24, 2020, for two-and-a-half hours the Carson refinery discharged 310,000 gallons of industrial wastewater containing 64,000 pounds of oil and grease, more than 300 times what their permit allowed, into the Los Angeles County Sanitation District’s sewer system.
The company then allegedly failed to inform the district of the discharge.
The sanitation district in December of that year issued Phillips 66 multiple notices of violation and the following month, a manager from the corporation allegedly wrote back acknowledging the discharge and stating that operations personnel would be retrained.
Then, in February 2021, for five-and-a-half hours, the Carson refinery allegedly dumped another 480,000 gallons of industrial wastewater, with 33,700 pounds of oil and grease, into the LA County sewer system. The next month, the sanitation district again issued notices of violation and again, allegedly, a Phillips 66 manager acknowledged the discharge and failure to notify.
The Carson refinery is slated to be closed, Phillips 66 announced, after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law requiring California oil refineries to maintain a set amount of inventory in a bid to prevent gas price spikes due to low supply.
However, Phillips 66 said the decision was not related to the signing of that bill, but “on consideration of multiple factors, including future options for the site as part of Phillips 66’s ongoing review of its portfolio of assets.”
A company spokesperson told The Bee that Phillips 66 will continue to cooperate with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, “and is prepared to present its case in these matters in court.”
“The company remains committed to operating safely and protecting the health and safety of our employees and the communities where we operate,” the spokesperson said.
U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada, in a statement, said that “protecting our environment is key to protecting our community.”
“Just like the rest of us, corporations have a duty to follow the law, so when companies contaminate, they must be held accountable. My office will continue to be vigilant in safeguarding our natural resources for all to enjoy,” he said.
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