Kansas refinery fined more than $2 million for oil spill

Feb. 19, 2013

Coffeyville Resources Refining & Marketing has agreed to pay a $556,244 civil penalty to settle alleged violations of the Clean Water Act at its facility in Coffeyville, Kan., and $1.7 million for reimbursement of federal response costs.

Staff

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, Kan., and $1,746,256 for reimbursement of federal response costs associated with the cleanup of the Verdigris River following a 2007 flood and oil spill, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.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.