US District Judge Kristine Baker in Little Rock, Arkansas called ExxonMobil’s consent decree with the US and Arkansas “fair, reasonable, and adequate, and consistent with the Clean Water Act”, Reuters reported.
The rupture of Exxon’s Pegasus pipeline on 29 March 2013 led to a spill that caused about 3190 barrels of oil to flow through Mayflower, Arkansas, and nearby waterways, including Lake Conway, which flows into the Arkansas River.
ExxonMobil agreed to pay $4.19 million in civil penalties, upgrade water quality in Lake Conway, and take steps to respond better to potential future spills. It did not admit liability.
Baker overruled an objection from Central Arkansas Water, a water system that serves 400,000 people, which said the accord did not do enough to protect against potential spills.
The Pegasus pipeline runs about 850 miles from Illinois to Texas and transports Canadian heavy crude oil. It was built in the 1940s.
The case is US et al v. ExxonMobil Pipeline Co et al, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Arkansas, No. 13-00355.