美國德拉瓦州一家石油公司CITGO，因疏忽導致污染物排入路易斯安那州的河川，17日以違反《淨水法》遭判處1300萬美元罰款。司法部官員表示，這次的罰款，是史上觸犯《淨水法》刑事微罪的相關判例中，金額最高的一次。
CITGO坦承疏失，未能好好維護該公司在路州硫磺市的石油提煉廠的雨水儲存槽，並且未能保持儲水槽適當的蓄水能力。因此，在大風雨後，導致近5300桶油流入Indian Marais 和 Calcasieu 河流域。
CITGO在1994年將潟湖廢水處理系統轉換成儲存槽，來處理多餘的廢水和雨水，因預算的關係，當時只造了兩個儲水槽。但在1998年初，工作人員和外部承包商即建議需多建造一個儲水槽，不過CITGO直到2005年才核准第三儲水槽的興建計畫。
此外，該公司也未按照標準程序來維護水槽，在其運作時期，並未移除儲槽內的石油、污泥和固體廢物，且未修復除污設備。因未按照以上程序，使得雨水槽中累積了相當程度的油汙，終而引發油汙溢出。
此次違法排污，造成污染水路長達10天無法進行商業通航。
除了罰款之外，CITGO將實施環境履約計畫，將採取措施，以確保這類的事件不再發生。路易斯安納州西區檢察官華盛頓（Donald Washington）說，「環境保護是我們最優先的考量，我們不會放任企業或是其僱員逃避他們應避免環境危害的責任。」
CITGO, a Delaware corporation, pleaded guilty Wednesday and was sentenced to pay a $13 million fine for the negligent discharge of pollutants into two rivers in Louisiana in violation of the Clean Water Act.
Justice Department officials said the fine is the largest ever for a criminal misdemeanor violation of the Clean Water Act.
CITGO pleaded guilty for negligently failing to maintain stormwater tanks and failing to maintain adequate stormwater storage capacity at its petroleum refinery in Sulphur, Louisiana. As a result of these failures approximately 53,000 barrels of oil was discharged into the Indian Marais and Calcasieu Rivers following a heavy rainstorm.
In 1994, CITGO converted its lagoon waste water system into a tank system for handling excess waste water and stormwater. In order to trim costs, only two stormwater tanks were constructed, but as early as 1998, employees and outside contractors advised that an additional tank was necessary. CITGO did not approve construction of a third tank until 2005.
In addition, the company failed to follow standard procedures for maintaining the tanks. During its operations, CITGO failed to remove oil, sludge and solids from the tanks and failed to repair the skimming equipment.
Failing to follow these procedures allowed for the build-up of a significant amount of oil in the stormwater tanks, which contributed to the overflow.
The illegal discharge resulted in 10 days of limited commercial transportation on the waterways.
Along with the fine, CITGO will implement an Environmental Compliance Plan by which it will take measures to ensure a spill of this type will not occur in the future.
"The protection of the environment is among our highest priorities," said Donald Washington, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Louisiana. "We will not allow corporations or their employees to escape liability for failing to do their part in preventing harm to the environment."
