EPA fines Texas producer $4,000 for December oil spill

The US Environmental Protection Agency fined Prize Petro, a producer based in Cherokee County, Tex., $4,000 on May 21 for spilling 2,100 gallons of oil from a production facility on Dec. 17, 2008.

The announcement by EPA's Region 6 office in Dallas settled a Clean Water Act violation resulting from the spill into Owl Creek and wetland adjoining the Neches River and nearby shorelines. Owl Creek is a Neches River tributary which enters Sabine Lake near the Gulf of Mexico, EPA said.

It said that Prize Petro agreed to pay the fine, certify that it investigated the spill's cause, and take actions to prevent future spills.

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