SALT LAKE CITY — Chevron has been hit with another violation notice and is facing fines of up to $25,000 per day from state water quality regulators.
The Thursday notice stems from a Dec. 1 incident in which a joint of a 6-inch valve fractured, filling a catchment vault with up to 500 barrels of oil, some of which overflowed and migrated to only 500 feet away from an area affected by a spill in June.
Chevron began cleanup and containment efforts, which the Water Quality Board concedes "prevented the surface flow of crude oil," but the board says a water quality sampling that was conducted the day after the spill showed state waters were contaminated.
"The oil discharged also impacted the ability of workers in the Red Butte Arboretum from being able to work on site without risk," the notice states. "The contaminated soil also has the potential to mobilize and continue to threaten groundwater until it is removed."
It states Chevron has committed four specific violations, including discharging a pollutant that is harmful to state waters and "discharging crude oil in such a way as it did or may have become offensive." They ask that Chevron immediately comply with Utah code in relation to water quality and submit a response and cleanup action report.
Failure to comply, according to the violation, could lead to "a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per day of violation. Under certain circumstances of willfulness or gross negligence, violators may be fined up to $25,000 per day of violation."
The violation notes that this is the second one of its kind to have been issued to Chevron regarding the same pipeline, which runs near Red Butte Creek, in a six-month span. A pipeline breach on June 12 led to the spill of 33,000 gallons of oil into Red Butte Creek, which then traveled downstream to the Liberty Park pond. Some oil made its way to the Jordan River, prompting a public closure of the Jordan River along a central city segment.
A subsequent federal investigation by pipeline safety regulators led to a fine of $423,600, citing the company's failure to have an adequate leak detection system and failing to protect the pipeline against possible discharges of electrical current from nearby utility lines.
Federal regulators have since issued a corrective order against Chevron in connection with the December spill, noting the company failed to ensure it had adequately drained the pipeline after a pressure test. The resulting fluid in the line likely caused the fracture of the valve when temperatures hit below freezing.
Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker wants the pipeline closed indefinitely until an independent pipeline safety consultant hired by the city signs off on the pipeline's integrity and Chevron's operation plans.
Contributing: Amy Joi O'Donoghue
E-mail: emorgan@desnews.com
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