Judicial Settlement with Transocean Offshore Deepwater Drilling, Inc. Resolves Clean Water Act Violations

 USEPA News Release:

Judicial Settlement with Transocean Offshore Deepwater Drilling, Inc. Resolves Clean Water Act Violations

DALLAS, TEXAS (September 28, 2023) – The U.S. Department of Justice, on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a consent decree with Transocean Offshore Deepwater Drilling, Inc (Transocean) for alleged violations of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Gulf of Mexico - Outer Continental Shelf General Permit (general permit) and Sections 301 and 309 of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA). The complaint alleges that Transocean did not obtain coverage under the relevant general permit before discharging, discharged pollutants in excess of effluent limits, and submitted inaccurate discharge monitoring reports, among other violations. Transocean will pay a civil penalty of $507,000.

“The Gulf of Mexico remains a critical natural resource for coastline communities and for marine life, safeguarding this resource has been one of the Biden Administration’s top priorities,” said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. In 2022, EPA invested $53 million towards the Gulf of Mexico to improve water quality, restore habitats, enhance community resilience, and increase environmental education in communities. By enforcing Clean Water Act standards and by funding restoration projects, we continue to protect one of our nation’s oldest resources and hold companies accountable for failing to compile with environmental laws.”

As part of the settlement, Transocean must comply with the CWA and its implementing regulations, as well as the general permit. To achieve compliance, Transocean must continue development and implementation procedures to track its vessels and mobile facilities engaged in oil and gas exploration and production activities in the Gulf, submit timely and accurate reports, and perform all required inspections and monitoring. In addition, Transocean is required to establish procedures for cooling water intakes that ensure fish and other aquatic species do not become trapped in filter screens.

Pursuant to the settlement, Transocean must hire a third-party auditor to review compliance plans and must demonstrate to EPA that it has completed all Third-Party Audit Corrective Actions. Transocean also must submit annual reports to EPA to demonstrate compliance with requirements set forth in the consent decree. The settlement was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas on September 6, 2023 and is subject to a 30 day public comment period before final court approval of the consent decree. The proposed consent decree and the public notice may be viewed online. The public comment period ends on October 12, 2023.

Once the consent decree has been approved and entered, Transocean will have 30 days to pay the civil penalty to the United States. For more information about EPA’s central and western Gulf of Mexico offshore program, visit EPA’s public website.

Connect with the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 on Facebook, Twitter, or visit our homepage.