Stephenson Oil Company, Inc. Fined for Violating the Clean Water Act

Release date: 05/04/2009

Contact Information: Dave Bary or Anthony Suttice at 214-665-2200 or r6press@epa.gov

(Dallas, Texas - May 4, 2009) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has fined Stephenson Oil Company, Inc. of Cleburne County, Arkansas, $20,906 for violating the federal Clean Water Act. Today’s announcement settles a Clean Water Act violation for discharging approximately 1970 gallons of oil into Sulphur Creek and its adjoining shorelines from Stephenson Oil Company’s bulk oil storage facility in Heber Springs, Arkansas, and associated Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) violations. A federal inspection of the facility revealed that the company had failed to prepare an adequate SPCC plan for the facility, and had failed to provide adequate secondary containment for bulk storage tanks and storage units which contributed to the oil spill.

Additional information on SPCC regulations is available at http://www.epa.gov/oilspill

More about activities in EPA Region 6: http://www.epa.gov/region6

EPA audio file is available at http://www.epa.gov/region6/6xa/podcast/may2009.html