Monday, October 24, 2011

Documenting $88,829,504 Dirty Koch Pollution and Resource Fines

Documenting $88,829,504 Dirty Koch Pollution and Resource Fines
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koch_Industries#Pollution_and_resource_fines

In March 1999, Koch Petroleum Group, a Koch Industries subsidiary, pled guilty to charges that it had negligently dumped hundreds of thousands of gallons of aviation fuel into wetlands near the Mississippi River from its refinery in Rosemount, Minnesota, and that it had also illegally dumped a million gallons of high-ammonia wastewater onto the ground and into the Mississippi River. Koch Petroleum paid the Dakota County Park System a $6 million fine and $2 million in remediation costs, and was ordered to serve three years of probation.[32]

[32] "Koch Petroleum Group Sentenced for Minnesota Pollution" (Press release). Environmental Protection Agency. 9 March 2000. Retrieved 2010-06-14. http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9efb85257359003fb69d/eae2020401d0bf098525689d00713ea5!OpenDocument

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In 1999, a federal jury found that Koch Industries had stolen oil from government and American Indian lands, had lied about its purchases more than 24,000 times, and was fined $553,504.[33]

[33]  CBS (27 November 2000). "Blood and Oil". 60 Minutes. http://web.archive.org/web/20110201210711/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2000/11/27/60II/main252545.shtml

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In January 2000, a Koch Industries subsidiary, Koch Pipeline, agreed to a $35 million settlement with the U.S. Justice Department and the State of Texas. This settlement, including a $30 million civil fine, was incurred for the firm's three hundred oil spills in Texas and five other states going back to 1990.[34][35][36] The spills resulted in more than 3 million US gallons (11,000 m3) of crude oil leaking into ponds, lakes, streams and coastal waters.[37]

[34] "Koch Pipeline Company L.P. - Newsroom". Kochpipeline.com. 2000-01-13. Retrieved 2011-07-23
[35] By Ralph K.M. Haurwitz and Jeff Nesmith (2001-07-23). "Austin news, sports, weather, Longhorns, business". Statesman.com. Retrieved 2011-07-23. www.statesman.com/specialreports/content/specialreports/pipelines/23pipegathering.html
[36] "Koch Agrees to $35 Million Settlement in Two Environmental Cases". Safety Online. 17 January 2000. http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/016bcfb1deb9fecd85256aca005d74df/981d17e5ab07246f8525686500621079
[37] "Koch Industries to Pay Record Fine for Oil Spills in Six States" (Press release). Environmental Protection Agency. 13 January 2000. Retrieved 2010-06-14. http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/016bcfb1deb9fecd85256aca005d74df/981d17e5ab07246f8525686500621079

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In 2001, the company reached two settlements with the government. In April, the company reached a $20 million settlement in exchange for admitting to covering up environmental violations at its refinery in Corpus Christi, Texas.[38][39] That May, Koch Industries paid $25 million to the federal government to settle a federal lawsuit that found the company had improperly taken more oil than it had paid for from federal and Indian land.[33][40]

[38] "Koch Pleads Guilty to Covering up Environmental Violations at Texas Oil Refinery". justice.gov. U.S. Department of Justice. 9 April 2001. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/016bcfb1deb9fecd85256aca005d74df/981d17e5ab07246f8525686500621079
[39] Don Richards (22 January 2001). "DOJ Reduces Indictments Against Koch Industries". ICIS. http://www.icis.com/Articles/2001/01/22/130888/doj-reduces-indictments-against-koch-industries.html
[33]  CBS (27 November 2000). "Blood and Oil". 60 Minutes. http://web.archive.org/web/20110201210711/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2000/11/27/60II/main252545.shtml
^ Russell Ray (20 June 2001). "Tribe Likely to Get Piece of Settlement in Osage County, Okla., Oil Squabble". Tulsa World.
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In June 2003, the US Commerce Department fined Koch Industries subsidiary Flint Hill Resources a $200,000 civil penalty. The fine settled charges that the company exported crude petroleum from the US to Canada without proper US government authorization. The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security said from July 1997 to March 1999, Koch Petroleum (later called Flint Hill Resources) committed 40 violations of Export Administration Regulations.[41] 

[41] US Dept of Commerce, Commerce Dept Fines Kansas Firm, June 3, 2003 press release, http://www.bis.doc.gov/news/2003/kansasfirmfined.htm

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In 2006, Koch Industries’ subsidiary Flint Hill Resources was fined nearly $16,000 by the EPA for 10 separate violations of the Clean Air Act at its Alaska oil refinery facilities, and required to spend another $60,000 on safety equipment needed to help prevent future violations.[42] 

[42] EPA Press Release, EPA Fines Flint Hill Resources Alaska, Dec 13 2006, accessed Aug 25 2010, http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/b0789fb70f8ff03285257029006e3880/6b191200b3ce87e2852572430062f987!OpenDocument

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In 2007, Koch Nitrogen's plant in Enid, Oklahoma, was listed as the third highest company releasing toxic chemicals in Oklahoma, according to the EPA, ranking behind Perma-Fix Environmental Services in Tulsa and Weyerhaeuser Co. in Valliant.[43] The facility produces about 10% of the US national production of anhydrous ammonia, as well as urea and UAN.[44]

[43] "EPA Reports Toxic Releases to Air, Water and Land in Oklahoma in 2007". Environmental Protection Agency. 2009-03-19.. http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6427a6b7538955c585257359003f0230/0c43e41531a2f7848525757e00664797!OpenDocument
[44] Voorhis, Dan (2010-12-16). "Fertilizer Helps Koch Grow". Wichita Eagle. http://www.kansas.com/2010/12/16/1635564/fertilizer-helps-koch-grow.html

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In 2010, Koch Industries was ranked 10th on the list of top US corporate air polluters, the “Toxic 100 Air Polluters,” by the Political Economic Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.[45]

[45] cite press release |title= Toxic 100 Air Polluters |date= March 31, 2010 |url= http://www.peri.umass.edu/toxic_press/ |accessdate= }}

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http://koch-industries-organized-crime.blogspot.com/2011/10/28800000000-is-enough-stop-koch.html
http://sunlightfoundation.com/blog/2011/10/04/koch-industries-had-inside-man-at-the-epa/