U.S. fines Exxon $2.63 million for Arkansas oil pipeline leak
Date: 02-Oct-15
Country: USA
Author: Timothy Gardner
Spilled crude oil is
seen in a drainage ditch near evacuated homes near Starlite Road in
Mayflower, Arkansas March 31, 2013.
Photo: Jacob Slaton
The U.S. pipeline safety office has fined Exxon Mobil Corp $2.63 million for spilling crude oil in an Arkansas residential area in 2013, the regulator said on Thursday.
The Illinois-to-Texas, 20 inch (51 cm), Pegasus pipeline spilled about 3,190 barrels of oil in a neighborhood near the town of Mayflower. Regulators initially estimated the spill was about 5,000 barrels.
The case will be closed when the civil penalty is paid and terms of a compliance order are completed, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration told Exxon in a letter sent on Thursday and published on the regulator's website.
ExxonMobil said in a statement it has received the letter and is evaluating its options.
(Editing by Chris Reese and Richard Chang)
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