Lafayette oil company, owner plead guilty to environmental violations

[BeckyDem]

Posted: 5:13 PM, Jan 30, 2020
Updated: 6:13 PM, Jan 30, 2020
By: KATC NEWS

An oil production company based in Lafayette Parish and its president pleaded guilty this week to violations stemming from an oil spill that occurred in 2016, the state DEQ has announced.

In March 2018, BPR Energy, Inc., and its president, Bernard P. Robichaux, 48, were indicted for violations of Louisiana’s Pollutant Discharge Elimination System related to an oil spill from a tank at Petro-Hurst Oil in Iberville Parish, an oil production facility operated by BPR Energy, Inc.

On Wednesday, BPR Energy, Inc. pleaded guilty to a felony count for the knowing violation of provisions of Louisiana Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, specifically for failing to notify LDEQ and other appropriate agencies of the discharge. BPR Energy, Inc. was ordered to pay a $50,000 fine.

Robichaux pleaded guilty to a negligent violation of provisions of Louisiana Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, specifically for discharging a pollutant into the waters of the state without a permit. He was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and sentenced to two years of probation. In addition, he was ordered to pay $5,000 to LDEQ and $5,000 to the Louisiana State Police as reimbursement of costs for each agency’s role in the investigation.

https://www.katc.com/news/lafayette-parish/lafayette-oil-company-owner-plead-guilty-to-environmental-violations

[Wellstone ruled]

1. And in the mean time,he made millions.

[BeckyDem]

2. Well, that is a given, unfortunately.

[Wellstone ruled]

3. I know just how dirty

and polluted the environment will get if abatement's are not put place. Spent a Summer on Rigs in Texas,Arkansas,and Louisiana,as a Chem Tech doing drill water and sludge samples. The Standards were,there was not any standards as far as discharge was concerned,just pump it into any field or swamp.

[BeckyDem]

4. Horrible but not surprising.

[Wellstone ruled]

5. Have not been in that area for about ten years.

The Marshes and Swamps were the Toxic Sludge was pumped into were still mostly dead ponds with non native Grasses growing and some weeds . Could not believe there were Towns pulling drinking water from some of those creeks down stream form where we had drilling operations. Ignorance must run deep.

[BeckyDem]

6. omg that is so frightening.

Thank you for sharing your personal experiences. Have you ever written an OP about it? If not, I believe it would be greatly appreciated.