Costs and penalties for 2005 oil spill

Contact:  Mark York 502-564-3350

Mid-Valley Pipeline Co. will pay $1.52 million to the state for environmental violations from an oil spill in the Kentucky River near Carrollton in 2005, Governor Ernie Fletcher announced today.

Civil penalties and costs of responding to the incident are contained in a consent decree filed today in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.

A pipeline operated by the company ruptured on Jan. 26, 2005, releasing 262,542 gallons of oil into a 16-mile stretch of the Kentucky River in Owen and Carroll counties.  Oil eventually entered the Ohio River. 

Governor Fletcher, who flew over the spill area and met with officials in Carrollton, said the consent decree marks another step in the recovery process. 

"This is an unfortunate incident, and it should serve as a reminder that our environment must be protected, even as we work to meet our energy needs," Governor Fletcher said.

Mid-Valley Pipeline was cited for polluting the rivers and also for not reporting the spill immediately to the Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet (EPPC).  The consent decree also requires the company to provide Incident Command Training for its personnel in Kentucky.

The consent decree calls for the company to pay $120,478.63 to the EPPC for response costs, a civil penalty of $1.17 million to the state and $230,000 to a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the environment of Kentucky, as directed by the cabinet.

The public will have 30 days to comment on the decree, which also settled federal claims from the spill.