Corpus Christi, Texas – CITGO Petroleum Corporation and CITGO Refining and Chemicals Company L.P (CITGO) were sentenced in U.S. District Court in Corpus Christi, Texas for violations of the Clean Air Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) on Wednesday, February 5, 2014. The sentencing was for failure to equip two massive tanks with required emission controls and exposing numerous residents in the Oak Park and Hillcrest communities in Corpus Christi as well as several migratory birds to chemical emissions. CITGO was ordered to pay $2 million in fines for the Clean Air violations. Additionally, CITGO was also charged with three misdemeanor MBTA counts and ordered to pay another $45,000 in fines. The Department of Justice, the United States Attorney's Office Victim Witness Section, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division (EPA), the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Environmental Crimes Unit (TCEQ), and the Texas Environmental Crimes Investigative Task Force (Task Force) worked together on this case. Members of the Task Force conducting the investigation consisted of officers from the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, EPA, TCEQ, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Task Force conducted site visits and interviewed hundreds of potential witnesses and victims of CITGO's actions in addition to recovering seven different species of migratory birds.
Department of Justice website
News coverage
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/02/07/3263591/citgo-criminal-fine/
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/06/citgo-environment-idUSL2N0LB01E20140206
