CWA CrimeBox For the week of June 5 to 11, 2023

Environmental Crimes:  Fiscal Year 2015; Case ID# CR_2715 (Louisiana)

Gulf oil and gas platform runs defective for 10 months; manager to jail and company fined $1.5 million

The following summarizes one of sixty-six Clean Water Act Prosecutions in Louisiana since 1990

An operations manager employed by an oil and gas company entered a guilty plea in federal district court for a single count violation of the Clean Water Act, negligent discharge of pollutants.

Investigators presented evidence of defect in an oil and gas platform resulting in the release of contaminated water into West Cote Blanche Bay.  The violation of the Clean Water Act was not reported and was allowed to continue for a period of ten months in 2011 and 2012.  Oil and gas produced water is the material left over after separating oil from drainage fluids. This waste product results from the normal operations of a platform and requires disposal via barge, injection well or other approved method in accordance with federal and state discharge permits.  

The judge determined the individual defendant in this case, holding the positions of operations manager and also a director in the company, should have known of the defect on the platform.  The defendant was determined responsible for correcting any deficiencies resulting in illlegal discharges in a timely manner.

The individual defendant was sentenced to one day in prison, one year of supervised releas and 200 hours of community service.

The energy company operating the platform was sentenced to a federal fine of $1,125,000 and a restitution payment of $375,000 distributed between Louisiana State Police Emergency Services Unit, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, the Southern Environment Enforcement Network and to the Public Oyster Seed Ground Development Account of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

Prison: 1 day; Federal fine: $1,125,000  Probation: 12 months; Community Service:  200 hours; Restitution: $375,000