Exxon Settles Air Pollution Lawsuit, Will Pay $2.5 Million in Fines, $300 Million for Technology Upgrades

Exxon will pay millions to upgrade eight Gulf-area plants in a major settlement announced Tuesday with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The oil giant’s agreement to pay $300 million to outfit oil and gas plants in Texas and Louisiana with pollution-control technology follows allegations that the company violated the Clean Air Act by releasing harmful pollutants at those plants. Exxon will also pay $2.5 million in fines.

While the Trump administration is touting the decision as evidence it can crack down on polluters, environmentalists cautioned that the case against Exxon was in the works for years, and some groups criticized the punishment as too light considering the extent of the allegations against the company.

As reported by the Washington Examiner:

“The anti-fossil fuel group 350.org called the fine ‘a slap on the wrist’ from the ‘fossil-fueled Trump administration,’ according to Lindsay Meiman, the group’s head of communications. ‘These mild fines are tiny compared to the colossal wealth of fossil fuel elites, and will only embolden Exxon and its ilk in exploiting our planet for profit.'”

For a deeper dive:

AP, New York Times, Houston Chronicle, The Hill, Bloomberg, Politico Pro, Washington Examiner

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