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USEPA May Impose Penalties for Noninjurious oil Discharges
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
journal ‐ american water works association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.466
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1551-8833
pISSN - 0003-150X
DOI - 10.1002/j.1551-8833.1991.tb07191.x
Subject(s) - chevron (anatomy) , coast guard , guard (computer science) , law , officer , court decision , environmental science , political science , environmental protection , geology , paleontology , computer science , programming language
In 1986, on 12 occasions, Chevron USA accidentally discharged small quantities of oil into an open body of water. Though the spills were small, the were large enough to cause an iridescent sheen. Chevron reported each discharge to the US Coast Guard, the enforcing agency under the Clean Water Act. After investigation, the Coast Guard referred the matter to a hearing officer. At a hearing the Coast Guard imposed civil penalties ranging from $250 to $1,000 per discharge. Chevron challenged the decision in the federal court. The trial court ruled for Chevron; however the appellate court reversed that decision.