Phillips 66 Refinery Accused Of Dumping Oil In LA County Sewer System

LOS ANGELES, CA — Federal prosecutors indicted oil giant Phillips 66 for allegedly dumping hundreds of thousands of gallons of wastewater from its Carson oil refinery into the Los Angeles County sewer system, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday.

The Texas-based Phillips 66 Fortune 100 company is facing six charges, including two counts of negligently violating the Clean Water Act and four counts of knowingly doing it.

“Protecting our environment is key to protecting our community,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Just like the rest of us, corporations have a duty to follow the law, so when companies contaminate, they must be held accountable. My office will continue to be vigilant in safeguarding our natural resources for all to enjoy.”

According to prosecutors, the alleged dumping began over a 24-hour period on Nov. 24, 2020 when the company discharged about 310,000 gallons of wastewater containing about 64,000 pounds of oil and grease into the county sewer system in less than three hours.

The level of oil is more than 300 times the concentration allowed under federal law, according to prosecutors.

Within days, the county issued violation notices to Phillips. According to the indictment, a manager at the Carson refinery acknowledged the discharge and assured county officials a fix was underway to stop it from happening again.

But according to prosecutors, it happened again not long after.

On Feb. 8, 2021, the refinery discharged another 480,000 gallons of industrial wastewater containing 33,700 pounds of oil and grease into the county sewer system in under six hours, according to federal prosecutors.

Once again, Los Angeles County issued violations notices, and a refinery official acknowledged the discharge and the refinery's failure to notify county officials, according to the indictment.

Phillips 66 issued a statement saying, "Phillips 66 will continue its cooperation with the U.S. Attorney's Office and is prepared to present its case in these matters in court. The company remains committed to operating safely and protecting the health and safety of our employees and the communities where we operate."

If convicted on all counts, the company faces five years of probation and $2.4 million in fines, according to the justice department.

In October, Phillips 66, which employs 600 staffers and 300 contractors ,announced plans to shut down it's Los Angeles County operations in 2025.

“With the long-term sustainability of our Los Angeles Refinery uncertain and affected by market dynamics, we are working with leading land development firms to evaluate the future use of our unique and strategically located properties near the Port of Los Angeles,” said Mark Lashier, chairman and CEO of Phillips 66 said last month. “Phillips 66 remains committed to serving California and will continue to take the necessary steps to meet our commercial and customer demands.”

City News Service contributed to this report.