A major oil company is in hot water again. According to EPA, for the second time in less than a year, the Agency has cited the oil company for CWA violations in Puerto Rico. For this most recent violation, EPA has proposed a penalty of $153,057 and issued a compliance order. EPA alleges that the company improperly maintained its deep ocean outfall equipment and discharged unauthorized pollutants.

The facility in question, located in Yabucoa, has a permit from EPA to discharge treated stormwater, wastewater, and sewage-related wastewater.

The permit allows the facility to discharge from a deep ocean outfall, which discharges by using a multiport diffuser-a pipe with multiple openings that aids in the dilution of pollutants. But EPA alleges that the permit was violated in two ways:

• First, it unlawfully discharged pollutants into navigable waters for 14 days without authorization.
• Second, it did not properly operate and maintain the diffuser pipeline for 105 days.

The company paid a penalty of $1,025,000 in May for similar violations.

INFO: Contact EPA's Amy Edgerton at 212-637-5034.