Last week the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) reached a settlement with two companies, Sunoco Pipeline, LP and Mid-Valley Pipeline Company, over a 45,000 barrel oil spill that took place in 2014 in Caddo Parish. The joint state-federal settlement includes U.S. EPA and the U.S. Department of Justice, and consists of approximately $4.6M in federal civil penalties and $436K in state civil penalties and response costs. Sunoco also agreed under the settlement to take steps to detect, repair, and prevent pipeline corrosion, which was the cause of the Caddo Parish spill and two others included in the settlement.
“Pipelines are generally a very safe medium for transporting crude oil, but like any other infrastructure, pipelines require maintenance and monitoring,” said LDEQ Secretary Dr. Chuck Carr Brown. “When companies neglect these necessary actions, pipelines can weaken and a spill can occur, which results in damage to the environment. LDEQ is committed to pursuing legal action against anyone whose actions cause damage to the environment of the state of Louisiana.”
