A federal grand jury on Wednesday indicted Phillips 66 on charges of violating the Clean Water Act by dumping nearly 800,000 gallons of contaminated wastewater into the Los Angeles County sewer system and failing to report the incident to authorities.
The Houston-based oil company was charged with releasing wastewater that contained excessive amounts of oil and grease from a refinery in Carson, Calif., in 2020 and 2021, the Justice Department said Thursday.
“Protecting our environment is key to protecting our community,” Martin Estrada, the U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, said in a statement.
“Just like the rest of us, corporations have a duty to follow the law, so when companies contaminate, they must be held accountable.”The Justice Department charged Phillips 66 with two counts of negligently violating the Clean Water Act and four counts of knowingly violating the act.
The company faces up to five years of probation on each count and a maximum of $2.4 million in fines.
Persons:
Phillips, ” Martin Estrada, “
Organizations:
Justice Department, Central, Central District of
Locations:
Angeles, Houston, Carson , Calif, U.S, Central District, Central District of California