Osawatomie is 50 miles southwest of Kansas City. BP Amoco assumed the liabilities of ARCO when it merged with ARCO last year. The consent decree resolves a 1999 lawsuit filed by EPA against ARCO for discharging 162,498 gallons of oil into the Marais des Cygnes River in January 1994. Residents used bottled water and water trucked in by local and state agencies until a temporary pipeline was built.
Oil spills pose a potentially serious threat to human health and the environment.
EPA studies show that one pint of oil released into the water can spread over a surface area of one acre, severely damaging aquatic habitats. It may take years for an ecosystem to recover from the damage caused by an oil spill. Acting Region 7 Administrator William Rice applauded the joint efforts of EPA and the U.S. Department of Justice.