The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has fined ExxonMobil €3,296,600 for under-reporting CO₂ emissions from its Fife chemical plant by 33,000 tons.

ExxonMobil admits the reporting error, along with a similar one at a plant in Southampton run by its subsidiary, which cost the company a further €712,000.

The company says it informed SEPA as soon as it noticed the error when it occurred in 2010, but the agency is obliged to levy the find under the EU’s Emissions Trading System (ETS).

In a stark reminder of the dangers of not adhering to environmental legislation, the fine is the highest civil penalty for any environmental offense in UK history.

“This case serves as a warning to all companies of the Scottish Government’s commitment to the environment and its determination to take action against companies who breach environmental regulations,” says Tim Hill, partner in international law firm Eversheds.

For further information:
www.scotland.gov.uk/
www.exxonmobil.co.uk/
www.eversheds.com/

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