Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

HTTPS

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

    • Environmental Topics
    • Air
    • Bed Bugs
    • Cancer
    • Chemicals, Toxics, and Pesticide
    • Emergency Response
    • Environmental Information by Location
    • Health
    • Land, Waste, and Cleanup
    • Lead
    • Mold
    • Radon
    • Research
    • Science Topics
    • Water Topics
    • A-Z Topic Index
    • Laws & Regulations
    • By Business Sector
    • By Topic
    • Compliance
    • Enforcement
    • Laws and Executive Orders
    • Regulations
    • Report a Violation
    • Environmental Violations
    • Fraud, Waste or Abuse
    • About EPA
    • Our Mission and What We Do
    • Headquarters Offices
    • Regional Offices
    • Labs and Research Centers
    • Planning, Budget, and Results
    • Organization Chart
    • EPA History

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. News Releases

EPA, BP settle hazardous waste violations at North Slope

BP failed to maintain adequate insurance to protect third parties against damages from hazardous waste

December 16, 2019

Contact Information
Bill Dunbar (dunbar.bill@epa.gov)
2065531019

SEATTLE -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has settled with BP Exploration Alaska over violations of its federal hazardous waste permit for its activities on Alaska’s North Slope.

The EPA alleges, in part, that the company failed to maintain adequate insurance for bodily injury and/or property damage to third parties that might occur as a result of the company’s storage and handling of hazardous waste on Alaska’s North Slope. BPXA has agreed to pay a penalty of $125,100.

Under its EPA-issued hazardous waste permit, BPXA is allowed to store in excess of 200,000 pounds of hazardous waste, such as flammable and toxic wastes from oil exploration, on leased state land in a sensitive tundra environment. The permit also requires that BPXA maintain a dedicated pool of funds available -- $1 million per occurrence with an annual aggregate of at least $2 million -- whether through insurance policies or otherwise, from which third parties can receive compensation for losses related to the storage or handling of BPXA’s hazardous waste. RCRA requires this pool of funds to be kept separate from coverage for legal defense and clean-up costs, which were inadequately covered by the insurance policies.

This case was the fourth settlement under an effort by EPA Region 10 to ensure that facilities permitted to store, treat or dispose of hazardous waste have the required liability coverage.

Here's the final Consent agreement between BPXA and EPA: BPXA

###

Related Links

  • Region 10
  • Read other EPA News Releases about Compliance and Enforcement
  • Read other EPA News Releases about Environmental Justice
  • Read other EPA News Releases about Hazardous Waste
Contact Us about News Releases
Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on January 24, 2023
  • Assistance
  • Spanish
  • Arabic
  • Chinese (simplified)
  • Chinese (traditional)
  • French
  • Haitian Creole
  • Korean
  • Portuguese
  • Russian
  • Tagalog
  • Vietnamese
United States Environmental Protection Agency

Discover.

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Budget & Performance
  • Contracting
  • EPA www Web Snapshot
  • Grants
  • No FEAR Act Data
  • Plain Writing
  • Privacy
  • Privacy and Security Notice

Connect.

  • Data
  • Inspector General
  • Jobs
  • Newsroom
  • Regulations.gov
  • Subscribe
  • USA.gov
  • White House

Ask.

  • Contact EPA
  • EPA Disclaimers
  • Hotlines
  • FOIA Requests
  • Frequent Questions
  • Site Feedback

Follow.