EPA, Justice Department Negotiate Pipeline Safety Settlement
The Environmental Protection Agency and the Justice Department today announced that it had negotiated a settlement with a major pipeline company to pay $41
Jul 31, 2020160.8K Shares5.7M Views
The Environmental Protection Agency and the Justice Department today announced that it had negotiated a settlement with a major pipeline company to pay $41 million to upgrade more than 10,000 miles of oil pipeline. The settlement, Obama administration officials say, will result in better pipeline safety on the company’s pipelines.
The settlement comes just weeks after a massive pipeline break in Michigan dumped about 1 million gallons of oil into a tributary of the Kalamazoo River. In light of this oil spill, I’ve been looking into the agency that is responsible for pipeline safety. I’ve found that the agency lacks an adequate mandate and the staff to require comprehensive inspections of the country’s massive pipeline system. Read my first story on the issue hereand the second, which ran today, here.
Plains All American Pipeline and its subsidies violated the Clean Water Act in ten oil pipeline spills from 2004-2007. In addition to the $41 million the company agreed to pay to upgrade their pipelines, the company is also required to pay $3.25 million in civil penalties under the act.
“These spills – and the recent pipeline spill in the Kalamazoo River – remind us that we must be diligent in our enforcement efforts and work to ensure that companies are meeting their environmental obligations,” Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, said in a statement today.
Under the agreement Plains All American Pipeline agreed to “take steps to replace or install corrosion control equipment, perform pipeline inspections, assess the integrity of newly acquired pipelines, improve leak detection practices and capabilities, and provide proper training for personnel,” according to the statement.
Dexter Cooke
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Dexter Cooke is an economist, marketing strategist, and orthopedic surgeon with over 20 years of experience crafting compelling narratives that resonate worldwide.
He holds a Journalism degree from Columbia University, an Economics background from Yale University, and a medical degree with a postdoctoral fellowship in orthopedic medicine from the Medical University of South Carolina.
Dexter’s insights into media, economics, and marketing shine through his prolific contributions to respected publications and advisory roles for influential organizations.
As an orthopedic surgeon specializing in minimally invasive knee replacement surgery and laparoscopic procedures, Dexter prioritizes patient care above all.
Outside his professional pursuits, Dexter enjoys collecting vintage watches, studying ancient civilizations, learning about astronomy, and participating in charity runs.
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