Mewbourne Oil, operator of wells in Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexio, has been fined $5.5 million by the Justice Department over violations of the Clean Air Act.
Mewbourne will also have to spend another $4.6 million to make sure its oil and gas battery pads comply with regulations. The government contended the wells produced unlawful air pollution from its oil and gas wells in the three states.
A report by TCD indicated the Justice Department stated the cleanup efforts should bring an end to the emission of 11,000 tons of pollution a year, 9,900 tons of volatile organic compounds and 1,300 tons of methane.
“The result will be cleaner, healthier air for communities in New Mexico and Texas,” said Larry Starfield, principal deputy assistant administrator for the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance.
The University of Oklahoma named the Mewbourne School of Petroleum and Geological Engineering in the honor of the company founder, Curtis Mewbourne who graduated from the university. The renaming occurred in 2000 and Mewbourne was also granted an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters in 2002.
On November 2, 2007, the Mewbourne College of Earth & Energy was named in his honor and he was given the Trailblazer Award for his professional achievements and lifetime commitment to the energy center.
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