BP and EPA reach agreement on 2005 product terminal response exercise
BP Products North America Inc. (BP) has reached an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Justice (DoJ) to settle a notice of violation that the EPA issued to BP in 2006 related to spill response training exercises conducted at the Curtis Bay product terminal in Baltimore, Maryland in 2005.
“BP is committed to safe operations and we conduct regular emergency response exercises at our fuel terminals,” said Steve Pankhurst, president of BP Pipelines North America. “In 2005, our spill response contractor did not meet BP or EPA’s standards for rapid response during drills. This was unacceptable to us and we took action to replace the contractor.”
This EPA settlement concerns an oil spill response training exercise and did not involve an actual oil release at the terminal. As part of the settlement, BP will pay a civil penalty of $210,000. The company also will conduct independent audits at other product terminals to assess response plans and share those results with EPA. Furthermore, BP is applying best practices for oil spill response to its operating sites.
“Since 2010, BP has strengthened and shared industry best practices for oil spill response and we are assuring that these learnings are in place in our facilities globally,” Pankhurst added. “We’re sharing these best practices with EPA and putting them into action at our products terminals as part of this agreement.”
Notes to Editors
- The settlement concerns two oil spill response practice exercises in 2005 and did not involve an actual fuel release from the Curtis Bay Terminal.
- During these 2005 exercises, the oil spill response contractor failed to provide the boat to deploy boom within the necessary timeframe. BP promptly took steps to address the issue.
About BP
BP has invested more in the United States over the last five years than any other oil and gas company. With more than $52 billion in capital spending between 2007 and 2011, BP invests more in the U.S. than in any other country. The company is the nation’s second largest producer of oil and gas, a major oil refiner and a leader in alternative energy sources including wind power and biofuels. BP provides enough energy each year to light the entire country. With 23,000 U.S. employees, BP supports nearly a quarter of a million domestic jobs through its business activities.
