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French chemical company charged over 2019 plant fire T
he French subsidiary of US chemical company Lubrizol has been charged with pollution and failing to meet safety
and an extra ¤4 million “to guarantee the rights of victims by allowing for the repair of human and environmental damage that may
were destroyed in the fire in September.
standards after an explosion and fire at its plant in Rouen, northern France. The blaze at the lubricant plant in September
have been caused.”
the failure to meet safety standards resulted in serious health issues and degraded air quality in the area. The amounts that Lubrizol
and October 2019 produced a thick black cloud for several days that spread across the region and caused nausea, headaches, and vomiting amongst locals.
necessarily mean a company or individual will face trial in court. The Paris prosecutor’s statement said that investigators are still yet to determine the cause of the initial explosion.
Being charged under French law does not
The Paris prosecutor’s statement added that
France was ordered to pay “correspond to the magnitude of the disaster,” the statement said. The explosion occurred in the early hours
Lubrizol France was charged on February 27 with the Paris prosecutor’s office releasing
Lubrizol produces lubricants and fuel additives and has its headquarters in Ohio, US. The
of September 28. Firefighters managed to bring the fire under control after 24 hours, but toxic black smoke and soot remained in the
a statement saying the company had been ordered to pay a holding amount of ¤375,000
company is owned by US billionaire Warren Buffet. More than 9,000 tonnes of chemicals
following days and spread across the region as far as Belgium and the Netherlands.
US pipeline owner agrees to pay $60 million for 2015 spill
Refugio beach in May 2015 - Image: USFWS
P
lains All American Pipeline has agreed to pay $60 million to settle
civil charges in relation to an oil spill in May 2015 at Refugio State Beach near Santa Barbara, California. The US Department of Justice announced on March 13 that the Texas-based oil company would settle the charges after violating federal pipeline safety laws.
www.hazardexonthenet.net
The $60 million includes $24 million in penalties and $22 million in compensation relating to environmental damage and clean-up costs. The government added that the settlement requires Plains All American to implement safeguards across
$335 million, not including lost revenues. The spill from a corroded pipeline crippled the local oil business because the pipeline was used to transport crude to refineries from seven offshore rigs, including three owned by Exxon Mobil.
its national pipeline system to address factors which contributed to the 2015 spill. Although a settlement was reached with the Department of Justice and the US Environmental Protection Agency, Plains
After the incident, federal inspectors found that Plains had made several preventable errors, failed to quickly detect the pipeline rupture and responded too slowly as oil
did not admit any wrongdoing or liability. The spill in May 2015 saw an estimated 142,800 gallons (541,000 litres) of oil spilt, killing hundreds of both marine mammals and birds. The company’s 2017 annual report estimated costs from the spill at
flowed toward the ocean. Plains operators working from a Texas control room more than 1,000 miles away had turned off an alarm that would have signalled a leak and, unaware a spill had occurred, restarted the leaking line after it had shut down.
