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Coffeyville Resources Refining and Marketing to Pay $2,302,500 Combined Penalty and Reimbursement to Settle Violations of Clean Water Act at Coffeyville, Kansas, Facility

Release Date: 02/12/2013
Contact Information: Ben Washburn, 913-551-7364, washburn.ben@epa.gov

Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Lenexa, Kan., Feb. 12, 2013) - Coffeyville Resources Refining & Marketing (CRRM) has agreed to pay a $556,244 civil penalty to settle alleged violations of the Clean Water Act at its facility in Coffeyville, Kansas, the Environmental Protection Agency announced today. In addition to paying the penalty, CRRM will pay $1,746,256 for reimbursement of federal response costs associated with the cleanup of the Verdigris River following a 2007 flood and oil spill.

On July 1, 2007, CRRM discharged approximately 2,145 barrels of crude oil, diesel fuel, and oil water from its petroleum refinery into the Verdigris River during a flood event.

“The settlement with CRRM requires the company to make upgrades to its facility that will protect human health and the environment from future spills,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Karl Brooks. “In addition to these changes, CRRM is required to pay back the taxpayers for the response costs associated with cleaning up their spill.”

CRRM will also complete other projects to further mitigate the risk of illegal spills or discharges. Among these are the completion and installation of river modeling and monitoring procedures and the implementation of a Wet Weather Plan and training of refinery personnel to ensure proper emergency shutdown of the refinery in the event of a future flood.

The consent decree is subject to a 30-day public comment period and approval by the federal court. Once it is published in the Federal Register, a copy of the consent decree will be available on the Justice Department website at http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/Consent_Decrees.html.