On April 22, 2016, the Department of Justice announced that ORB Exploration LLC has agreed to pay civil penalties and state response costs and to implement corrective measures to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Water Act and state environmental laws stemming from three crude oil spills.
The spills happened in 2013 and 2015 at company sites at Frog Lake and Crocodile Bayou, both located in the Atchafalaya River Basin. ORB Exploration will pay $615,000 to the U.S. Justice Department and $100,000 to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality in civil penalties and response costs.
“Louisiana’s wetlands are vital to the state’s economy, communities and ecology, providing protection from storm surges and habitat for wildlife,” said Regional Administrator Ron Curry for EPA. “Companies must be held accountable when their actions threaten these important natural resources.”
