Rowan Companies, Nine Employees Plead Guilty to Environmental Crimes

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.corporatecrimereporter.com/rowan100907.htm

Rowan Companies, Inc., a major oil and gas drilling company, pled guilty to three felonies in connection with the routine discharge of pollutants and garbage into the Gulf of Mexico from one of the firm's oil rigs.

Rowan will pay a $7 million criminal fine, along with community service payments totaling $1 million to five state government enforcement organizations.

Rowan will also make a $1 million payment to the National Marine Sanctuaries Foundation to be used for preservation and protection projects at the Flower Garden and Stetson Banks National Marine Sanctuary located in the Gulf of Mexico off the coasts of Texas and Louisiana.

Rowan will also reorganize its corporate structure to add an environmental division.

“Oil drilling operations must be done in a way that complies with environmental law,” said the Justice Department’s Ronald J. Tenpas, “Along with paying a criminal fine, Rowan Companies, Inc. is implementing a compliance plan and is helping to set industry standards that will serve as a model for other oil drilling companies."

The federal officials alleged that the operation and cleaning of offshore drilling rigs created substantial amounts of waste.

FULL story at link.