ExxonMobil to pay $6.1M pollution fine

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- ExxonMobil Corp. will pay an extra $6.1 million fine for failing to cut air pollution at four refineries as promised, the U.S. Justice Department said.

The world's largest company by revenue had already paid $7.7 million in a 2005 agreement with the government in which ExxonMobil promised to install new emissions controls at refineries in Baytown and Beaumont, Texas; Baton Rouge, La., and Torrance, Calif.

ExxonMobil also promised to spend another $6.7 million on community environmental improvements.

But U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials determined the oil and gas company had not sufficiently reduced sulfur emissions at the Texas, Louisiana and California refineries, CNN reported.

ExxonMobil called the breaches minor and said its refineries now meet all required EPA standards on sulfur emissions.

"The Department of Justice will not tolerate violation of our consent decrees," Assistant U.S. Attorney General Ronald Tenpas said in a statement.

"The significant penalty in this case shows that non-compliance with settlement requirements will have serious consequences."