"The U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles has filed felony criminal charges against Phillips 66, accusing the company’s Carson refinery of illicitly dumping oil and grease into the county sewer system.

In an announcement Thursday, the Justice Department said that a federal grand jury had returned a six-count indictment against the Houston-based energy business for consciously violating the Clean Water Act and then failing to report its actions to authorities.

Phillips 66 is charged with two misdemeanor counts of negligently violating the Clean Water Act and four felony counts of knowingly violating the Clean Water Act.

Phillips 66 faces up to five years’ probation for each count and $2.4 million in fines. Company officials are expected to appear in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles for an arraignment within a matter of weeks."

Tony Briscoe reports for the Los Angeles Times November 21, 2024. [2]