Phillips 66 Indicted for Illegal Wastewater Dumping in California
The oil company faces six federal charges for allegedly violating the Clean Water Act by discharging contaminated wastewater and failing to report it.
- Phillips 66 is accused of discharging hundreds of thousands of gallons of industrial wastewater from its Carson refinery into Los Angeles County's sewer system in 2020 and 2021.
- The wastewater allegedly contained excessive levels of oil and grease, exceeding permitted concentrations by over 300 times in one incident.
- The company faces two counts of negligently violating the Clean Water Act and four counts of knowingly violating it, with potential penalties of up to $2.4 million in fines and five years of probation per count.
- Federal prosecutors claim Phillips 66 failed to notify the Los Angeles County Sanitation District about the discharges, despite receiving multiple violation notices.
- The Carson refinery, which represents 8% of California's refining capacity, is set to close by the end of 2025, though the company cites market concerns rather than regulatory issues for the decision.
Newsweek 
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Associated Press 
Orange County Register 
The Sacramento Bee 
Los Angeles Times 
U.S. Department of Justice 
