Marathon Oil to Pay Record Settlement for Pollution in Violation of the Clean Air Act

In a settlement agreement between the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Justice (DOJ), Marathon Oil must pay a record penalty of $64.5 million and invest roughly $177 million in pollution reducing measures for allegedly violating the Clean Air Act, the agencies announced in a press release on Thursday.

It is the largest penalty for Clean Air Act violations at stationary sources, including power plants, factories and refineries, the EPA said, according to The Washington Post.

“Today’s record Clean Air Act settlement is the most significant to date under EPA’s climate enforcement initiative and makes clear that EPA will hold corporate polluters like Marathon accountable for violations that put communities and our futures at risk,” said David Uhlmann, EPA’s assistant administrator of the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, as The Washington Post reported.

In their complaint, the EPA and DOJ alleged violations of the Clean Air Act by Marathon at almost 90 of its facilities, including those in western North Dakota’s Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. The agencies said the violations produced thousands of tons of unlawful pollution.

Specifically, the facilities run by Marathon released illegal amounts of carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which the agencies said are associated with respiratory illnesses.

“Volatile organic compounds are a key component in the formation of ground-level ozone, a pollutant that irritates the lungs, exacerbates diseases such as asthma, and can increase susceptibility to respiratory illnesses, such as pneumonia and bronchitis,” the EPA said.

Large amounts of methane were also produced.

“Methane, a super climate pollutant, is a hydrocarbon that is a primary component of natural gas and a potent greenhouse gas, approximately 25-28 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. It is the second most abundant greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide, accounting for about 16% of global emissions. Achieving significant reductions of methane would have a rapid and significant effect on atmospheric warming potential,” the press release said.

The settlement agreement will lower VOCs by about 110,000 tons, as well as methane emissions that are the equivalent of two million-plus tons of carbon dioxide.

Part of the EPA’s National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative: Mitigating Climate Change, the settlement is part of the agency’s wider effort to hold companies accountable for violations at oil and gas production facilities across the U.S.

“Like all of the EPA’s national enforcement initiatives, this initiative prioritizes communities already overburdened by pollution and with other potential environmental justice concerns,” the press release said.

In 2022, Marathon was the 22nd largest producer of oil in the U.S. and the seventh biggest greenhouse gas emitter in the industry. A considerable amount of the corporation’s emissions came from the flaring that occurs when methane is intentionally released into the atmosphere instead of being captured using equipment, reported The Washington Post.

“This historic settlement — the largest ever civil penalty for violations of the Clean Air Act at stationary sources — will ensure cleaner air for the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation and other communities in North Dakota, while holding Marathon accountable for its illegal pollution,” said Attorney General Merrick Garland, as The Associated Press reported.