BANGOR, Maine - Representatives of the Chevron Corporation and several state and federal agencies have resolved issues stemming from the oil leaks into the Penobscot River more than 60 years ago at a Hampden oil terminal.
Scott Whittier, a division director for the state Department of Environmental Protection, said the consent decree filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court will assist in efforts to clean up the Penobscot.
"The consent decree that was filed in federal district court yesterday provides $880,000 for the restoration of the environment that was damaged as the result of the leaks from the Chevron oil terminal facility," Whittier said.
The former oil terminal and tank farm was located off Route 1A near the Bangor-Hampden town line. As part of the consent decree, Chevron U.S.A. Inc. and later owners, Cumberland Farms Inc. and Gulf Oil Limited Partnership, did not acknowledge any wrongdoing.
The court complaint alleged that approximately 140,000 gallons of oil leaked into the river between the 1950s and the mid-1980s. Parties in the dispute are awaiting court approval of the consent decree.