If climate change isn’t reason enough for you to want to give the boot to fossil fuels, take this: Koch Industries, one of the largest U.S. pipeline operators, has been fined $35 million by the EPA for spilling 3 million gallons of oil into lakes and streams in six states, the largest civil fine ever levied under the Clean Water Act. Koch left thousands of miles of pipeline in disrepair, leading to hundreds of oil leaks. In settling a lawsuit brought by the feds, Koch also agreed to clean up more than 300 spills that occurred between 1990 and 1997, increase maintenance and inspections, and pay for third-party monitoring of its pipelines for two years. Enviros questioned whether the fine was large enough considering the money Koch likely saved by cutting corners.
