ExxonMobil Oil Corporation Settlement, 2016
ExxonMobil Oil Corporation Case Settles for $50,000
In February of 2016, ExxonMobil paid $50,000 in penalties for supplying gasoline in violation of California reformulated gasoline regulations. In July 2013, ExxonMobil supplied more than 1,470,000 gallons of regular grade gasoline with a Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) higher than the allowable cap limit of 5.99 psi from its Vernon terminal. The RVP level of the gasoline supplied was up to 6.41 psi. The high RVP was the result of recycling condensate from ExxonMobil’s Vapor Recovery Unit (VRU). The VRU condensate is normally recycled into a regular grade CARBOB tank (higher throughput), and in this case was temporarily switched to the premium grade tank (lower throughput) to facilitate pipeline movement operations. The violation was discovered during routine sampling conducted by CARB Enforcement staff. Enforcement staff verified the violation by resampling and through a series of discussions with ExxonMobil terminal staff. ExxonMobil took steps to investigate, isolate and recertify the non-compliant fuel. ExxonMobil implemented corrective actions to minimize the potential for similar occurrences.