Phillips 66, a Texas-based oil company, was indicted by federal prosecutors this week for allegedly violating the Clean Water Act in the state of California.
The Indictment
The U.S. Department of Justice has accused the Texas-based company of releasing hundreds of thousands of gallons of industrial wastewater contaminated with excessive levels of oil and grease.
Prosecutors allege that the company discharged wastewater from its Carson oil refinery into the Los Angeles County sewer system in 2020 and 2021, failing to report the violations.
“Phillips is charged with two counts of negligently violating the Clean Water Act and four counts of knowingly violating the Clean Water Act,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California said. “The company is expected to be arraigned in the coming weeks in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.”
The company could face up to five years of probation for each count, along with fines totaling a maximum of …