$1M fine for water contamination

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Omaha World Herald

By Joe Duggan

LINCOLN — Two Texas companies have agreed to pay more than $1 million in fines for natural gasoline spills that contaminated waters in Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas.

Mid-America Pipeline Co. and Enterprise Products Operating LLC, both based in Houston, agreed Tuesday to the $1.04 million fine to settle violations of the federal Clean Water Act, according to the Environmental Protection Agency in Kansas City.

The companies also agreed to spend at least $200,000 to help prevent breaks in the 2,769-mile long West Red Pipeline. The pipeline transports liquid natural gasoline, used in ethanol production, from Conway, Kan., to Pine Bend, Minn. Mid-America owns the pipeline, which is managed by Enterprise.

The spills that led to Tuesday's consent decree:

— 818 barrels leaked into the Missouri River Aug. 13 near Onawa, Iowa, following a rupture caused by last summer's extended flooding.

FULL story at link.



Read more: http://www.omaha.com/article/20120529/NEWS01/705309997#-1m-fine-for-water-contamination

[Crow73]

1. short shaft?

Dude that is pocket money. Ream these fuckers!

[Incitatus]

2. But the more they get fined, the less the have to donate to campaigns. nt

[may3rd]

3. .."$200,000 to help prevent breaks in the 2,769-mile long West Red Pipeline."... the math indicates

DUCT TAPE will be the cure all fix.
The made in China Peking duck tape, of course

[Incitatus]

6. I don't know. That's cutting it awfully close.

$200,000 / 2,769 = $72.28 per mile

$72.28 / 5,280 feet = .0136 per foot

At a little over a penny a foot to prevent leaks, I hope they get a good deal on duct tape.

[dtom67]

4. wonder how much....

They probably spent 100 times that much buying republicans to tear down the EPA.
I'd try to write something funny, but the fine is a big enough joke as it is.....

[PSPS]

5. This is just the cost of doing business

I've been very disappointed that Obama's EPA continues the "sue and settle" charade that started with reagan.

[tawadi]

7. $1.04 million fine is just a drop in the bucket

No pun intended. Should've been 10x that amount.