ConocoPhillips to pay $1.8 million to end dispute in Texas

Published: April 9, 2008

AMARILLO, Texas - Federal authorities and ConocoPhillips have agreed to settle a water contamination complaint at the company's plant in Borger, officials announced.

ConocoPhillips will pay $1.8 million to end the dispute, if a consent decree filed Monday in federal court by the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Justice is approved.

ConocoPhillips spokesman Bill Graham said the Houston-based company has been working with the EPA and Texas' equivalent, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, since 1999 to resolve the issue.

"It's been a long time," he said.

Once the decree is published in the Federal Register, the public has a 30-day window to comment. If the comment period passes without opposition, U.S. District Judge Mary Lou Robinson must approve the decree.

The decree requires a $1.2 million fine and payment for a $600,000 project to remove about 18,300 pounds of dirt annually from storm water runoff coming from the refinery's property.

The company processes crude oil and natural gas liquids. The conflict concerned wastewater that wasn't clean enough after processing before the company dumped it into a drainage area that leads into creeks that feed into the Canadian River.

The company will also be required to monitor the water it dumps and send analysis reports to federal and state environmental agencies. Levels of selenium in fish tissue also would be monitored.

Borger is about 53 miles northeast of Amarillo.

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