Two individuals and one company have now pleaded guilty to charges arising out of a federal investigation of collusion in the liquid aluminum sulfate industry, according to DOJ.
The agency's order lists various violations and says Sunoco Pipeline's "unlawful conduct . . . demonstrates a lack of ability or intention on the part of Sunoco to comply with the Clean Streams Law, the Dam Safety and Encroachments Act, and permits issued thereunder."
The agency reported since 2013, Cabot had excess emissions of natural gas from 267 pneumatic controllers at well sites and did not submit complete compliance demonstration reports for 20 gas wells.
Most of the illegal waste discovered during the operation was metal or electronic waste, and generally it was related to the car industry. In all, 226 waste crimes and 413 administrative violations were found, including criminal cases of 141 shipments carrying a total of 14,000 tonnes of illegal waste and 85 sites where more than 1 million tonnes of waste was illegally disposed.
Volkswagen will invest $800 million on zero-emission infrastructure in the next decade, part of its settlement with state and federal agencies for using a "defeat device" that caused in 2009-2016 diesel cars to emit far more nitrogen oxide than allowed.
The report will include highlights of 2016 enforcement activities in key programs including truck and bus requirements, vehicle certification and aftermarket parts, consumer products, and ocean-going vessels. Staff also will discuss the division's goals for 2017 and beyond.
The company has been ordered to pay $2.5 million, which will go into the Environmental Damages Fund. An additional fine of $125,000 was levied on May 25, 2017, on provincial charges from Alberta Environment and Parks under the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act.
The Maine fisherman was snared by Operation Broken Glass, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service investigation.
The app allows DEP staffers to conduct electronic inspections of all surface activities at oil and gas sites, including erosion and sedimentation, waterways encroachment, waste management, and spill cleanup.
The convictions followed investigations by Fisheries and Oceans Canada fishery officers. More than $23,000 in fines were issued in connection with the cases.
"The final rule updates 33-year old regulations and establishes clear requirements for responsible surface coal mining that will protect 6,000 miles of streams and 52,000 acres of forests over the next two decades," according to the agency.
"For the first time in a generation, we are able to restrict chemicals already in commerce that pose risks to public health and the environment," said Jim Jones, assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention.
The program now includes the confidential collection of equipment failure data.
The companies acknowledged Coast Guard examiners took oil samples from the oil/water separator's overboard discharge valve and from the vessel's sludge tank and the samples from the two locations matched. Under U.S. and international law, sludge is never to be discharged through an oil/water separator, EPA reported.
"The repackaging, sale, and distribution of unregistered and misbranded pesticides is illegal and puts people and the environment at risk," said Anne Heard, acting regional administrator for the Southeast. "Users rely on accurate, up-to-date information about ingredients, directions for use, hazards, and safety precautions. This settlement sends a strong message to pesticide companies to maintain compliance with all federal environmental laws."
The Washington State Department of Ecology's public comment period is open through Sept. 20.
The measures Consol Energy and related companies have agreed to will continue to reduce total dissolved solids in mining waters discharged to streams; EPA estimates implementation of the consent decree by Consol will eliminate more than 2.5 million pounds of pollutants in the form of TDS.
The company's consent decree with EPA and DOJ includes civil penalties under the Clean Water Act of $61 million relating to the Line 6B release and $1 million related to the Line 6A release, both payable within 30 days of the effective date of the decree.
"The rise of environmental crime across the world is deeply troubling. The vast sums of money generated from these despicable crimes are fueling insecurity and keeping highly sophisticated international criminal gangs in business," UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said. "It is essential the world acts now to combat this growing menace before it is too late."
"The well control rule is a vital part of our extensive reform agenda to strengthen, update, and modernize our offshore energy program using lessons learned from Deepwater Horizon," Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell said.