Exxon Mobil has agreed to pay $1.4 million to settle a federal lawsuit over a 2012 oil pipeline spill outside Baton Rouge, La.
The pipeline rupture in Torbert spilled at least 117,000 gallons of oil, some of which flowed into a tributary of Bayou Cholpe, which connects into the Intracoastal Waterway, according to a news release issued Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The spill lasted two days, as Exxon failed to immediately realize the pipeline had lost pressure, said Wilma Subra of the Louisiana Environmental Advocate Network.
The group’s executive director praised the settlement as “appropriate in the light of the magnitude of the damage.”
“Exxon does need to take measures to monitor the pipeline more frequently to prevent future spills,” said Marylee Orr.
The Justice Department suit, which alleged Exxon violated the federal Clean Water Act, was filed the same day the settlement was announced. It notes the impact on the bayou and its banks, including “dead fish and wildlife” in the area of the spill.
Irving-based Exxon continues to clean up the site under orders from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality.
“We believe that this settlement provides for an acceptable outcome that avoids protracted litigation between the parties. Safety is always our priority, and we are committed to operating in a safe and responsible manner,” an Exxon spokesman said in an email.
Over the last three years, Exxon has faced a series of lawsuits by government and private citizens over pipeline spills, including high-profile ruptures in Mayflower, Ark., and on the Yellowstone River in Montana.
Follow James Osborne on Twitter at @osborneja.
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