U.S. EPA Charges Kinder Morgan with Clean Water Act Violations

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency charged Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, LP for alleged violations of the federal Clean Water Act at its oil storage and terminal facility in Sparks, Nev.

The EPA is seeking up to $157,500 in penalties from the company, which is the largest transporter of gasoline and petroleum products in the nation. The company's west coast headquarters office is located in Orange, Calif.

The facility did not conduct at least ten emergency notification drills, which are required quarterly, over the past five years. Kinder Morgan also failed to conduct two oil spill response drills that require the use of emergency equipment. These drills must be conducted annually.

The EPA cited the company for failing to conduct emergency response drills at its facility at 301 Nugget Ave. The facility, which is located about one mile from the Truckee River, has the capacity to store more than one million gallons of oil.

The EPA discovered the alleged violations following an unannounced inspection of the facility’s response capability conducted last July. The inspection required the facility to respond to a simulation of an oil spill into the Truckee River.

Source: EPA