Union Pacific Railroad is to pay $1.5m in a settlement against violations of the Clean Water Act and Oil Pollution Act.
The settlement with the Environmental Protection Agency resolves a Clean Water Act enforcement action against Union Pacific that involves continuing operations at 20 rail yards in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming, as well as spills of oil and coal in 2003 and 2004 along railroad lines in all three states.
For the railyards, EPA alleges Union Pacific violated EPA’s Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) and Facility Response Plan (FRP) regulations.
“Today we have secured a settlement that will help prevent spills, protect water quality, and improve the safety of Union Pacific’s operations in 20 communities across Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming,” said Jim Martin, EPA regional administrator.
“Union Pacific has already begun putting necessary measures in place and we will ensure they continue to do so.”
As part of the settlement, Union Pacific will pay a civil penalty of $1.5 million of which approximately $1.4 million will be deposited into the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, a fund used by federal agencies to respond to oil spills.
The remaining $100,000 will be deposited in the U.S. Treasury for the coal spills and stormwater violations.
