CITGO Agrees to Settle for 2006 Louisiana Refinery Spill

Share This Post

Share on facebook
Share on linkedin
Share on twitter
Share on email

CITGO Petroleum Corp. has agreed to pay $19.7 million to restore natural resources damaged during a 2006 spill at its southwest Louisiana refinery that saw millions of gallons of waste oil and wastewater sent into the Calcasieu River estuary.

The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate reports the agreement involving CITGO’s Westlake refinery came in a consent decree the company entered with the U.S. Justice Department and federal and state trustees in federal court.

Combined with earlier settlements, the new deal means CITGO must pay almost $115 million in fines over the damage the spill caused.

“At least 54,000 barrels of waste (or ‘slop’) oil and untold millions of gallons of oily wastewater flowed into the waterways during the incident,” the Justice Department said in a complaint against the company.

That complaint was filed June 17 along with the consent decree in U.S. District Court in Lake Charles.

Plans call for using almost $19.2 million of the new settlement in Calcasieu Parish to restore parts of the 150-mile stretch of the estuary damaged by the spill, said Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator Sam Jones. The remaining settlement money will be used to reimburse federal and state agencies for unpaid damage assessment costs.

Originally posted at: https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southcentral/2021/07/07/621664.htm

Are you starting an INDEPENDENT agency?

Get Your Agency StartUp Checklist Today

More News

NOAA - Tropical Weather Updates
Tropical Weather Updates

Hurricane Erick Public Advisory Number 13a

Issued at 1200 PM CST Thu Jun 19 2025 000 WTPZ35 KNHC 191730 TCPEP5 BULLETIN Hurricane Erick Intermediate Advisory Number 13A NWS National Hurricane Center

NOAA - Tropical Weather Updates
Tropical Weather Updates

Hurricane Erick Forecast Discussion Number 13

Issued at 900 AM CST Thu Jun 19 2025 000 WTPZ45 KNHC 191438 TCDEP5 Hurricane Erick Discussion Number 13 NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL