The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reached settlements with BP Products North America Inc, Motiva Enterprises LLC, and Equilon Enterprises LLC doing business as Shell Oil Products US for the companies' production and distribution of gasoline that failed to meet regulatory requirements.
According to EPA, the settlements resolve alleged violations of various fuel standards that occurred from 1999 through 2004 at retail outlets, terminals, and refineries located throughout the United States. For example, a number of the violations involve the summertime gasoline standard for volatility, or tendency to evaporate, which is intended to reduce smog-causing hydrocarbon emissions. Some of the violations were self-reported by BP and Shell, while others were discovered through EPA's inspection and compliance programs.
BP agreed to pay a civil penalty of $900,000 and Shell agreed to pay a civil penalty of $600,000. BP and Shell will also perform extensive remedial efforts, including quality assurance programs and technical changes in processes and equipment, to correct the alleged violations and to prevent the recurrence of similar violations, EPA said in a news release.