Skip to content

Corruption Ledger

The Public Ledger of Corruption

  • About
  • Corruption
    • banks
    • corporate
    • environment
    • government
    • health
    • Leaks
    • misinformation
    • privacy and surveillance
    • Protest and Unrest
  • Sanctions
    • Sanctions News
    • Global Sanctions Feed
    • European Sanctions Feed
    • Canadian Sanctions Feed
    • US Sanctions Feed
  • Regions
    • Asias
    • Europe
    • Middle East
    • Oceania
    • US & Canada
    • World
  • Enforcement
  • Economy
  • International Conflict
  • Tech
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Free Speech
  • Toggle search form
  • Wells Fargo fined for sanctions breach _enforcement
  • Google Co-Founder, Other Billionaires Are Issued Subpoenas in Lawsuit Over JPMorgan’s Ties to Jeffrey Epstein; Sergey Brin, Thomas Pritzker, Mortimer Zuckerman and Michael Ovitz are asked for information in U.S. Virgin Islands’ civil suit against bank All Regions
  • Chinese businessman Guo Wengui seeks bail in $1 billion fraud case All Regions
  • IMF approves $15.6 billion Ukraine loan, part of $115 billion in global support All Regions
  • Russian preventive strike ‘petition’ possible after Ukrainian nuke plea -ITAR-TASS All Regions
  • Dominion’s Fox News defamation case headed to trial All Regions
  • Pussy Riot Member Accused of ‘Insulting Religious Sensibilities’, adds her to wanted list All Regions
  • Finland Clears Last Obstacle to NATO Entry All Regions

Court Finds Gross Negligence, Orders Oil Company to Pay United States and State of California $65 Million

Posted on March 6, 2023March 22, 2023 By 4am Research No Comments on Court Finds Gross Negligence, Orders Oil Company to Pay United States and State of California $65 Million
 

On March 2, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California entered final judgment against HVI Cat Canyon Inc., formerly known as Greka Oil & Gas Inc., in a civil suit brought jointly by the United States, on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Coast Guard, and by the State of California on behalf of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Central Coast Region. 

The United States and California filed the suit alleging that HVI Cat Canyon, which previously owned and operated multiple oil and gas production facilities in Santa Barbara County, California, was liable for:

  • 12 oil spills into waters of the United States in violation of the Clean Water Act;
  • 17 oil spills into waters of the state in violation of state law;
  • Reimbursement of the federal and state governments’ costs of cleaning up the oil spills;
  • Natural resource damages under state law for harm to fish, plant, bird, or animal life and habitat; and
  • Numerous violations of federal Oil Pollution Prevention Regulations identified in 16 EPA inspections across 11 facilities.

The court’s judgment follows an earlier 65-page opinion dated Feb. 25, in which the court awarded the United States and California the full amount of civil penalties, response costs, and damages that they sought at trial.  

“We applaud the court’s decision to hold HVI Cat Canyon responsible for the full extent of the harm they caused,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environmental and Natural Resources Division. “This outcome is a prime example of strong federal and state partnership and persistence in pursuing justice against a company that long flouted its compliance obligations.”

“This final judgment reflects EPA’s continued commitment to ensuring companies that operate oil and gas production facilities comply with federal clean water laws and prevent unnecessary oil spills,” said Regional Administrator Martha Guzman of EPA Pacific Southwest. “Holding companies responsible for failing to meet their environmental obligations is key to protecting our waterways and surrounding communities.”

“The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is committed to protecting our state’s pristine natural resources,” said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham. “Staff from our Office of Spill Prevention and Response work daily to prevent, prepare for and respond to oil spill incidents statewide. The collective efforts of state and federal regulators to hold this company accountable for the significant impacts they have caused is evidence of our dedication to fighting every day for the resources we hold in trust for all Californians.”

“HVI Cat Canyon, formerly GREKA, is being held accountable in their long history of multiple violations and on-going non-compliance across many agencies,” said Regional Water Board Chair Jane Gray. “This judgment is a testament to the multi-year efforts of agencies and the legal system’s ability to provide justice for egregious actions perpetrated against the environment.”

The court found that the 12 spills into waters of the United States, which occurred from 2005 through 2010, resulted from HVI Cat Canyon’s gross negligence. “Based on the totality of the circumstances, the spills evinced a pattern of reckless disregard for good oilfield industry practices, and a series of negligent acts or omissions by HVI concerning oil spill prevention, and pipeline and facility inspection and maintenance,” the court wrote. In total, the court found that the spills had discharged approximately 26,584 barrels of crude oil and produced water, a briny waste by-product of oil production. The court also ruled that HVI Cat Canyon had committed a total of 60 violations of the federal regulations at 11 facilities for a total of 86,842 days of violation.

Ultimately the court held HVI Cat Canyon liable to the United States for $40 million in civil penalties for the spills, $15 million in civil penalties for the violations of federal regulations, and $2.5 million in cleanup costs.  The court also held HVI Cat Canyon liable to California for $7.7 million in civil penalties and nearly $200,000 in natural resource damages and cleanup costs.

The case is styled United States, et al. v. HVI Cat Canyon, Inc., formerly known as Greka Oil & Gas Inc., No. 2:11-cv-05097-FMO-SS (C.D. Cal.). The court’s order is available through the court’s website, www.cacd.uscourts.gov.

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/court-finds-gross-negligence-orders-oil-company-pay-united-states-and-state-california-65

_enforcement, All Regions, corporate corruption, Corruption, Enforcement Actions, enforcement archive, government corruption, health, reg-enforcement, Region Asias, Region US & Canada, x.doj Tags:DOJ, Justice.gov, x-doj

Post navigation

Previous Post: Syrian state media: Israeli strike damaged Aleppo airport
Next Post: RU / Russia and Cuba working to counter US sanctions – ambassador

See also

  • Brazil’s Supreme Court agrees to probe Bolsonaro for riot government corruption
  • EU offers Russian banks alternatives to SWIFT – media All Regions
  • AP: Twitter faces lawsuits over unpaid rent for HQ offices in U.S., UK Region US & Canada
  • As Sean Hannity’s (Fox News) former director awaits extradition to US for entangled sanctions mess with Russia, Konstantin Malofeyev’s US bank account was just seized All Regions
  • Massachusetts: Gloucester violations of the Clean Water Act – Undertreated sewage from the city’s existing water treatment facility results in disease causing organisms and toxic pollutants All Regions
  • Russia comments on US drone crash in Black Sea All Regions

You must log in to post a comment.

  • Wells Fargo fined for sanctions breach
  • Google Co-Founder, Other Billionaires Are Issued Subpoenas in Lawsuit Over JPMorgan’s Ties to Jeffrey Epstein; Sergey Brin, Thomas Pritzker, Mortimer Zuckerman and Michael Ovitz are asked for information in U.S. Virgin Islands’ civil suit against bank
  • Chinese businessman Guo Wengui seeks bail in $1 billion fraud case
  • IMF approves $15.6 billion Ukraine loan, part of $115 billion in global support
  • Dominion’s Fox News defamation case headed to trial
  • Pussy Riot Member Accused of ‘Insulting Religious Sensibilities’, adds her to wanted list
  • Russian preventive strike ‘petition’ possible after Ukrainian nuke plea -ITAR-TASS
  • Finland Clears Last Obstacle to NATO Entry
  • Macron announces water saving plan; says protests will not stop reforms
  • Kremlin comments on WSJ correspondent arrest
  • Minnesota derailment spills ethanol, prompts evacuations
  • Deutsche Bank Stock Tumbles On Contagion Fears
  • Wall St falls as bank contagion fears flare up
  • US due diligence firm Mintz Group says staff detained in China after office raid
  • Credit Suisse, UBS facing US Russia-sanctions probe, subpoenas also sent to employees major US banks
  • (US) Appeals court sides with Justice Department in Trump lawyer fight
  • Russia boosts defenses near Japan; accuses U.S. of expanding Asia-Pacific presence
  • US credit card debt at record high as Fed raises rates again
  • Russian tech giants appeal Nasdaq delisting
  • China Denounces Submarine Deal
  • China insists it is impartial on Russia-Ukraine, questions US ‘pouring weapons into the conflict’
  • German ambassador confirms that Putin would be arrested if he entered Germany
  • Danish Navy present near Nord Stream 2 – media
  • Railroad reluctant to say who OK’d chemical burn after Ohio derailment
  • Scientists insist on continuing search for toxics in East Palestine
  • Top aide of Canadian PM Trudeau will testify in parliament on Chinese election meddling
  • Zuckerberg, Meta sued for failing to address sex trafficking, child exploitation
  • Norfolk Southern: Independent group finds toxic chemicals that Ohio EPA didn’t – Ohio train derailment (East Palestine)
  • JP Morgan, Deutsche Bank to face lawsuit over Epstein ties
  • Putin announces readiness to switch to the Chinese Yuan currency in foreign trade
  • Putin and Xi sign two documents in Moscow
  • Russia says jet scrambled as US B-52 bombers fly over Baltic Sea
  • Paris police, protesters clash for third night over Macron’s pension reform
  • Global / ChipMixer software ‘taken down’ by multi-national law enforcement coalition
  • Russian officials scoff at ICC’s indictment of Putin
  • SVB parent company files for bankruptcy
  • Violent protests in France over Macron’s retirement age push
  • International court issues war crimes warrant for Putin
  • US / Chinese tycoon and Bannon ally Guo Wengui charged with $1bn fraud
  • Samsung to invest $230 billion to build mega chip cluster
  • Pentagon calls Moscow over drone incident
  • Credit Suisse slump renews fears of global banking crisis
  • Silicon Valley Bank execs, parent company sued after collapse
  • Credit Suisse Shares Plunge as Bank Storm Spreads to Europe
  • Dow tumbles nearly 500 points as Credit Suisse stokes fears of bank failure contagion
  • Russian jet, US drone crash over Black Sea, US military says
  • Dark hours for Credit Suisse Bank
  • Account full of holes at Credit Suisse
  • Russia blasts Canada over ‘regime change’
  • US / Sterling Bancorp, Inc. to Plead Guilty to $69M Securities Fraud
  • US drones have no business near Russia – ambassador
  • Inflation in Argentina surges past 100 percent in historic spike
  • Paris visitors alarmed at trash strike
  • China says AUKUS on ‘dangerous path’ with nuclear subs deal
  • Taiwan unveils portable attack drone as China tensions rise
  • Putin rejects theory about Ukrainian role in pipeline blasts
  • Syrian president Assad arrives in Moscow, set to meet Putin
  • Marin’s F-18 proposal fizzles, as a new Finnish NATO tack emerges
  • Ohio sues Norfolk Southern over toxic train derailment
  • US / ‘Forever chemicals’ in drinking water
  • Nord Stream blasts staged by a state-level actor – Putin
  • No Harvey Weinstein retrial on rape, sex assault charges
  • US / Silicon Valley Bank execs, parent company sued after collapse
  • As U.S. steps back from Middle East, China steps in
  • Western sanctions shielding Russian financial system from global crisis – Kremlin
  • Moody’s puts US banks on notice
  • Robert Kiyosaki predicts next big bank to fold
  • UK $6 billion defense boost targets atomic submarines, weapons top-up
  • BBC gets £20 million boost from UK govt
  • Document reveals why Canada arms Saudi Arabia – media
  • Taiwan braces for ‘total blockade’ – media
  • Biden administration lets Ukrainians who fled war stay in US
  • Ratings Deceit: S&P sued for deceitful CDO ratings
Rumble Video

Corruption Ledger Follow

The Public ▇▇▇ Ledger of ▇▇▇ Corruption. https://t.co/wkobrEotQR

5amResearch
Corruption Ledger @5amresearch ·
10 Feb

News Coverage of the September 2022 #NordStream Pipeline Attack https://corruptionledger.com/news-coverage-of-the-september-2022-nord-stream-pipeline-attack/ via @5amResearch

Reply on Twitter 1623868066818928641 Retweet on Twitter 1623868066818928641 Like on Twitter 1623868066818928641
Corruption Ledger @5amresearch ·
10 Feb

Mia Jankowicz of Business Insider calls Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Seymore Harsh a "discredited journalist." #NordStream

Reply on Twitter 1623857264086974464 Retweet on Twitter 1623857264086974464 Like on Twitter 1623857264086974464 1
Corruption Ledger @5amresearch ·
9 Feb

#Kraken to Discontinue Unregistered Offer and Sale of Crypto Asset Staking-As-A-Service Program and Pay $30 Million to Settle SEC Charges
https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2023-25

Reply on Twitter 1623815305452560384 Retweet on Twitter 1623815305452560384 Like on Twitter 1623815305452560384
Corruption Ledger @5amresearch ·
9 Feb

SpaceX: Ukraine breaching agreement, weaponizing Starlink https://en.mdn.tv/71FW

Reply on Twitter 1623685510496505860 Retweet on Twitter 1623685510496505860 Like on Twitter 1623685510496505860
Load More

–

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Copyright © 2022 Corruption Ledger. This web site contains no ads.