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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $200,622 to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC). These funds will assist the OCC in acquiring antennas for Aircards, licenses for ArcMap Geographical Information System (GIS) and handheld Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment. In addition to equipment purchases, OCC will be providing training to field staff on the usage of the new equipment, evaluation of the effectiveness of integrated communications, GIS and GPS systems and the sharing of knowledge gained, lessons learned, and best practices with other oil and gas states and agencies via the Interstate Oil and Gas Commission Compact.

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $570,000 to the State of Oklahoma’s Office of the Secretary of Environment. The state will use these funds to conduct a comprehensive water pollution control program. The state will conduct monitoring of both surface and ground water, issue and enforce discharge permits and revise and update water quality standards and their water quality management plan.

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has fined Kass Bros. Office and Maintenance Shop Facility $1,950 for violating federal Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) regulations outlined under the Clean Water Act.

A federal inspection of a bulk storage facility owned by Kass Bros., Inc., and located at 1101 Destrahan Avenue, Harvey, Louisiana, on May 21, 2009, revealed the facility’s SPCC plan had inadequate or no information and procedures for reporting a discharge and inadequate or no prediction of equipment failure which could result in discharges.

Inspections and tests required by federal regulations did not follow written procedures developed for the facility, were not kept with the SPCC plan and were not maintained for three years which is also required by federal regulations.

Personnel working at the site had no training on the operation and maintenance of equipment to prevent discharges, no training on discharge procedure protocols, and no training on applicable pollution control laws, rules and regulations.

The inspection also found spill prevention briefings were not scheduled and conducted periodically, the SPCC plan had inadequate or no discussion of site security, secondary containment was inadequate for mobile or portable storage tanks, and was inadequate or did not discuss facility transfer operations, pumping and facility processes.

As part of an Expedited Settlement Agreement with EPA, the facility has provided certification that all identified deficiencies have been corrected.

SPCC regulations require onshore oil production or bulk storage facilities to provide oil spill prevention, preparedness and response to prevent oil discharges. The SPCC program helps protect our nation’s water quality. A spill of only one gallon of oil can contaminate one million gallons of water.

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $370,950 in Clean Water Act, Section 106 funding to the New Mexico Environment Department to administer the State’s base water quality and ground water programs. Activities for both programs will prevent, reduce, and eliminate water pollution by maintaining adequate monitoring programs, setting and revising water quality standards, developing Total Maximum Daily Loads, and meeting surface and ground water program compliance and enforcement requirements.

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $63,000 as part of a cooperative agreement to the City of Denton to clean a Brownfields site located at a potential Transit Park. Historically the Transit Park site, which is less than a mile away from the Downtown Square, was used for light industrial, commercial, and automotive repairs. The cleanup project will consist of two phases. The first phase will consist of removing asbestos floor tiling from one of the three buildings scheduled to be demolished.The second phase will consist of the development of a Municipal Setting Designation which will address groundwater contaminants: arsenic and lead. In addition to the cleanup project, the City of Denton will conduct outreach activities to inform citizens and surrounding communities about the site’s progress.

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $950,000 to the University of New Orleans Research and Tech Foundation to reduce sewer-related pollution, provide water quality educational outreach, and improve water quality in the Pontchartrain Basin. Project activities include implementing sewer collection and drinking water distribution systems, minimizing the amount of pollutants and floating debris that enters the drainage outfall canals, and conducting a study of wastewater collection and treatment throughout the unincorporated areas of St. Helena Parish.

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded the New Mexico Environment Department $335,597 to implement an Air Pollution Prevention and Abatement Program in 2010. Activities for this program will include air permitting and planning. Environmental compliance activities such as enforcement, surveillance, and ambient monitoring will also be incorporated into the program.

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has fined ten Louisiana companies for violating federal Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) regulations outlined under the federal Clean Water Act.

Federal inspections of the bulk oil storage facilities in May 2009 revealed a variety of violations though the violations differed at each facility: As an example: SPCC plans were not certified by a professional engineer, plans had inadequate or no description of the physical layout of the facility, and plans had inadequate or no information or procedures for reporting oil spills. Inspections and tests required by federal regulations were not in accordance with written procedures developed for the facilities, and personnel working at the sites had no training on the operation of equipment to prevent discharges, no training on discharge procedure protocols and spill prevention briefings were not scheduled and conducted periodically. The inspections also revealed that vehicle traffic was not warned of aboveground piping and oil transfer operations, containment bypass valves were not closed when not draining rainwater, and secondary containment was inadequate for mobile or portable storage tanks.

The companies inspected and fined were:

• Griffin Crane & Steel Service, 38142 Highway Department Road, Pearl River LA, $1,750
• Wilco Marsh Bugies & Draglines, Inc., 1304 McArthur Avenue, Harvey LA, $1,500
• Kajun Truck Plaza, 640 AO Rapellett Road, Golden Meadow LA, $1,500
• Kajun Sportsman, 27900 Highway 1, Golden Meadow LA, $1,450
• Chef Harbor, 21135 Chef Menteur Highway, New Orleans LA, $1,000
• American Vacuum, 1232 Siracusa Road, Morgan City LA, $900
• Parish Concrete, LLC, 68660 Highway 59, Mandeville LA, $900
• C&M Bayou Fuel Dock, 4932 Kenal Road, Lafitte LA, $850
• Ocean Marine Contractors, 9084 Highway 182 East, Morgan City LA, $800
• Professional Construction Services, Inc., 5716 Hayne Boulevard, New Orleans LA, $700

As part of an Expedited Settlement Agreement with EPA, the companies have provided certification that all deficiencies have been corrected.

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has fined the Kelly Oil Company of Sherman, Texas, $1,550 for violating federal Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) regulations outlined under the Clean Water Act.

A federal inspection of an oil production facility located on Brazos Avenue, Rosharon, Brazoria County, Texas, on June 24, 2009, revealed the facility’s SPCC plan was not certified by a professional engineer, had inadequate or no description of the physical layout of the facility, and inspections and tests required by federal regulations were not in accordance with written procedures developed for the site. Personnel working at the site had no training on the operation and maintenance of equipment to prevent discharges, discharge procedure protocols, and applicable pollution control laws, rules and regulations.

The inspection also found spill prevention briefings were not scheduled and conducted periodically and inspections of containers, foundation and supports were not conducted periodically for deterioration and maintenance needs.

As part of an Expedited Settlement Agreement with EPA, the facility has provided certification that all identified deficiencies have been corrected.

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has fined Gottson Oil, Inc. of Jennings, Louisiana, $19,515 for violating the federal Clean Water Act. Today’s announcement settles a Clean Water Act violation for an 8,200-gallon oil spill into George Ditch and associated wetlands which is a tributary of Murrell Canal and Lake Long in Iberville Parish, Louisiana. The settlement requires Gottson Oil, Inc. to pay the civil fine and verify that all violations have been corrected.

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has fined the River Parishes Oil Company of Norco, Louisiana, $1,800 for violating federal Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) regulations outlined under the Clean Water Act. A federal inspection of a bulk storage facility located on Airline Highway in Norco, Louisiana, revealed the facility had no SPCC plan and inspection reports were not maintained for three years as required by regulations. Personnel working at the facility had no training on the operation of equipment to prevent discharges, no training on discharge procedure protocols, and spill prevention briefings were not scheduled and conducted periodically. he inspection also found inadequate secondary containment, and mobile storage containers were not positioned to prevent discharged oil from reaching nearby waterways. As part of an Expedited Settlement Agreement with EPA, the facility has provided certification that all identified deficiencies have been corrected.

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has fined six Louisiana companies for violating federal Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) regulations outlined under the federal Clean Water Act.

Federal inspections of the bulk storage facilities in May 2009 revealed a variety of different violations at the facilities. As an example: No SPCC plans were available, facilities were not fully fenced and entrance gates were not locked or guarded when sites were unattended, and containment systems, including walls and floors, were not sufficient to contain oil spills. obile or portable storage containers were not positioned to prevent discharged oil from reaching waterways, spill prevention briefings were not scheduled and conducted periodically, and SPCC plans had inadequate or no discussion of facility security. The inspections also revealed plans were inadequate or did not discuss facility transfer operations and pumping, no training on the operation and maintenance of equipment to prevent discharges, no training on discharge procedure protocols, and no training on applicable pollution control laws, rules and regulations.

The companies inspected and fined were:

• A-1 Electrical Contractors, Inc., 2783 Lapalco Boulevard, Harvey LA, $1,350
• Joe’s Landing, 4811 Privateer Boulevard, Baratoria LA, $1,100
• Salty’s Marina, 117 Highway 22 East, Madisonville LA, $850
• Southern Seaplane, Inc., #1 Cogville Drive, Belle Chasse LA, $700
• Westwego Export Terminal, 933 River Road, Westwego LA, $700
• Stanco, Inc., Vehicle Maintenance Yard, 70459 Highway 59, Abita Springs LA, $650

As part of an Expedited Settlement Agreement with EPA, the companies have provided certification that all deficiencies have been corrected.

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has fined two Osage County oil production facilities $1,900 for violating federal Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) regulations outlined under the federal Clean Water Act.

A federal inspection of the Velma Chinn Lease Battery and Larry Chinn Tank Battery, both located at U.S. Highway 60 and County Road 3880, Bartlesville, Osage County, Oklahoma, on April 6, 2009, revealed neither facility had adequate procedures or information in their SPCC plans to report an oil spill or adequate discussion of spill prevention procedures. The inspection also found site personnel had no training on the operation and maintenance of equipment to prevent discharges, no training on discharge procedure protocols, and no training on pollution control laws, rules and regulations. Spill prevention briefings were not scheduled and conducted periodically, excessive vegetation which affects the integrity and/or walls of containment systems were slightly eroded or had low areas, and visual inspections of containers, foundations and supports were not conducted periodically for deterioration and maintenance needs. As part of an Expedited Settlement Agreement, the facilities have certified that all identified deficiencies have been corrected.

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has fined the Lion Oil Company of El Dorado, Arkansas, $3,000 for violating the federal Clean Water Act. Today’s announcement settles a Clean Water Act violation for a 900-gallon oil spill into Loutre Creek which enters Bayou de Loutre in Union County, Arkansas. Bayou de Loutre discharges to the Ouachita River. The settlement requires the Lion Oil Company to pay the fine, investigate the cause of the spill, clean up the spill and take corrective actions that will prevent future violations.