The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement with Hi-Noon Petroleum Inc. (Hi-Noon) regarding alleged Clean Water Act (CWA) violations due to a gasoline discharge into Grayling Creek in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.
According to the EPA, Hi-Noon discharged 4,800 gallons of gasoline into Grayling Creek on August 19, 2022. The company has agreed to pay $20,000 and complete a $45,000 supplemental environmental project (SEP) as part of the resolution. The SEP involves donating spill emergency response equipment and training worth $45,000 to the Hebgen Basin Fire District in West Yellowstone, Montana, which responded to the incident.
"EPA’s settlement with Hi-Noon underscores our commitment to holding polluters accountable, especially within our national parks,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. “This response will help ensure that visitors continue to safely enjoy Yellowstone long into the future.”
The discharge occurred following an accident involving a Hi-Noon gasoline tanker truck on U.S. Highway 191 within the park's boundaries. Gasoline flowed off the road into adjacent wetlands and then followed the wetland channel to Grayling Creek, a tributary of the Madison River.
The spill was reported to multiple agencies including YNP dispatch, the National Response Center, and both Wyoming and Montana Departments of Environmental Quality. Hi-Noon's contractor collaborated with an EPA on-scene coordinator for soil removal and product recovery activities.
Federal oil spill prevention regulations require facilities storing oil to prevent discharges that could impact nearby water resources. More information about CWA’s prohibition against oil discharges into U.S. waters can be found on the CWA compliance website.
