EPA v. Calcasieu Estuary (CITGO)

Case summary

Calcasieu Estuary Superfund Site, Lake Charles Enforcement Action under CERCLA Section 107(a) (Bayou D'Inde) - On June 30, 2021, the U.S. District Court, Western District of Louisiana, approved and entered a Consent Decree in the case of U.S. v. Axiall Corp., et. al. The Consent Decree embodies a settlement agreement between DOJ, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and various corporate entities resolving settling defendants' liability under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) for past costs incurred. Settling Defendants agreed to reimburse the EPA and DOJ $5.5 Million in past costs after having remediated the Bayou D' Inde Area of Concern under a State of Louisiana Cooperative Agreement for the Calcasieu Estuary Site. The Site encompasses Bayou Verdine, Bayou d'Inde, Coon Island Loop, Clooney Island Loop, Prien Lake, Lake Charles, and the Calcasieu River from the saltwater barrier to Moss Lake near the City of Lake Charles in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana. Industrial and petrochemical facilities operated for decades in the area surrounding the Calcasieu Estuary and Lake Charles and have historically discharged into Calcasieu Estuary. Although many discharges were recently permitted, there were also instances of permit exceedances and violations into those waters.

Defendants (4)

• PPGNamed in complaintNamed in settlement
• Occcidental Petroleum CorporationNamed in complaintNamed in settlement
• CITGO Petroleum CorporationNamed in complaintNamed in settlement
• Axiall CorporationNamed in complaintNamed in settlement

Facilities (1)

• CALCASIEU ESTUARY

  INCLUDES ALL OF BAYOU D'INDE & N OF MOSS, LAKE CHARLES, LA, 70601

  Registry ID: 110009288458

Statutes cited

• CERCLA 107A — Cost Recovery

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• Calcasieu Estuary (CITGO)entered 2021-06-30

  Primary law: CERCLA

Timeline (5 milestones)

• 2015-09-17Referred To Dept Of Justice
• 2015-10-21Enforcement Action Data Entered
• 2021-04-12Complaint Filed With Court
• 2021-04-12Final Order Lodged
• 2021-06-30Final Order Entered