Oil refinery companies agree to pay $9.8 million for site cleanup

LOS ANGELES – Operators of two former oil recycling facilities in Compton, an area historically overburdened by the impacts of pollution, agreed to pay $9.8 million to resolve litigation regarding their failure to comply with cleanup orders issued by the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board.

Leach Oil Company, Inc., Mouren-Laurens Oil Company, Inc., and related parties, deposited the funds in a trust for soil and groundwater cleanup and remediation at the sites they formerly operated.

Between 1950 and 1998, the companies managed adjacent oil recycling, blending and packaging facilities near the intersection of Avalon and East Compton Boulevard. As part of the operations, bulk oil was stored in underground and aboveground tanks.

Additionally, an underground pipeline was used to transport oil between the facilities.

Investigations by Los Angeles Water Board staff detected contaminants in soil and groundwater across both sites due to oil and chemical releases from the tanks and pipeline.

The regional board’s 2014 orders required investigation, cleanup, remediation and abatement of soil, soil vapor and groundwater contamination. When the parties failed to comply, the matter was referred to the California Office of the Attorney General.

“This settlement will help fund a comprehensive cleanup in one of our most disadvantaged communities that is long overdue,” said board Chair Norma Camacho. “It also sends the message that we will not tolerate polluters who refuse to comply with our cleanup orders. Our board is charged with protecting water quality in the Los Angeles region, and we will utilize our enforcement powers toward that end.”

With approximately 10 million residents, Los Angeles is the most densely populated region in the state. It encompasses all the coastal watersheds of Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Land use varies considerably. In Ventura County, agriculture and

open space exist alongside urban, residential and commercial areas. In northern Los Angeles County, open space is steadily being transformed into residential communities. In the southern part of the county, land uses include urban, residential and industrial.