Shell pays $191K fine for 2015 refinery incident
11 Feb 2021
MOUNT VERNON, Wash. (AP) — Shell Oil Products U.S. has paid a $191,000 fine for the release of pollutants from its Shell Puget Sound Refinery north of Seattle in Skagit County.
The fine comes via a legal settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to resolve federal Clean Air Act violations, The Skagit Valley Herald reported.
During refinery maintenance on Feb. 20, 2015, several operating procedures were violated, resulting in the release of about 700 pounds of pollutants. Hydrogen sulfide, dimethyl sulfide, mercaptans, pyrophoric iron and benzene were released over a period of more than three hours.
The emissions sickened many in surrounding areas, including on the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community reservation to the south, and some sought medical attention.
The settlement agreement, filed in late 2020, says more than 550 people on the reservation and in surrounding areas were impacted by the emissions with some reporting symptoms from coughing to nausea, headaches, chest and lung pains.
“The health of the Swinomish Tribal Community is my top priority, and that starts with ensuring we all have clean air to breathe,” Swinomish Tribal Chairman Steve Edwards said in a news release welcoming the fine. “We are glad to see the EPA take action to hold Shell Oil accountable for its violations of air pollution laws.”
Shell has also corrected issues with its risk management plan and implementation to prevent, detect and minimize accidental air emissions, according to a Wednesday EPA news release.
With previous fines paid to the Northwest Clean Air Agency and the Washington Safety and Health Agency, Shell has now paid about $600,000 for the incident.
A more recent emissions incident, on Sept. 29, 2020, remains under investigation by the Northwest Clean Air Agency.
Royal Dutch Shell conspired directly with Hitler, financed the Nazi Party, was anti-Semitic and sold out its own Dutch Jewish employees to the Nazis. Shell had a close relationship with the Nazis during and after the reign of Sir Henri Deterding, an ardent Nazi, and the founder and decades long leader of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. His burial ceremony, which had all the trappings of a state funeral, was held at his private estate in Mecklenburg, Germany. The spectacle (photographs below) included a funeral procession led by a horse drawn funeral hearse with senior Nazis officials and senior Royal Dutch Shell directors in attendance, Nazi salutes at the graveside, swastika banners on display and wreaths and personal tributes from Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall, Hermann Goring. Deterding was an honored associate and supporter of Hitler and a personal friend of Goring.
Deterding was the guest of Hitler during a four day summit meeting at Berchtesgaden. Sir Henri and Hitler both had ambitions on Russian oil fields. Only an honored personal guest would be rewarded with a private four day meeting at Hitler’s mountain top retreat.
IN JULY 2007, MR BILL CAMPBELL (ABOVE, A RETIRED GROUP AUDITOR OF SHELL INTERNATIONAL SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERY UK MP AND MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS: 
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A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
