Judge rules against CITGO in oil spill case

LAFAYETTE, La. — A federal judge has shot down efforts by CITGO Petroleum to limit the fines and special conditions it could face in a federal Clean Water Act lawsuit over a June 2006 oil spill at the company’s Lake Charles refinery.

The ruling by U.S. District Judge Richard Haik comes in a lawsuit filed against CITGO by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the state Department of Environmental Quality.

The lawsuit seeks damages for a spill that leaked an estimated 53,000 barrels of oil into the Calcasieu River and other nearby waterways.

CITGO has already paid $13 million in fines after pleading guilty in 2008 to a criminal charge.

The trial in the civil case is set for Sept. 1.

To sign up for Mississippi Business Daily Updates, click here.

One Response to “Judge rules against CITGO in oil spill case”

1. Judge rules against CITGO in oil spill case (Mississippi Business Journal) | The Lake Charles 10 - Top Ten Lists of the Best Restaurants, Businesses, Services, and Everything Else You Can Imagine in Lake Charles, LA Says:
   March 9th, 2010 at 11:07 am

   [...] Visit link: Judge rules against CITGO in oil spill case (Mississippi Business Journal) [...]