The charges stem from EPA citations issued in July 2020 and December 2021 for pollution violations. The citations indicated that from 2018 through at least 2021, BP underreported the amount of benzene and other toxic chemicals that were being emitted from the refinery. Larry Starfield, acting assistant administrator of the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, stated that “[t]his settlement will result in the reduction of hundreds of tons of harmful air pollution a year, which means cleaner, healthier air for local communities…”. [2]
This settlement will result in the reduction of hundreds of tons of harmful air pollution a year, which means cleaner, healthier air for local communities…
n the past, fines against BP for its activities in Indiana have rarely strayed above a few thousand dollars. Some commentators are optimistic that the scale of these fines may help send a message to the petroleum industry. However, it’s not clear that this will necessarily be the case. While a $40 million fine is significant, in 2022, BP reported $28 billion in profits. [3]
References
[1] U.S. et al. v. BP Products North America Inc. | ENRD | Department of Justice