BP to pay almost $180M in pollution case

BP Products North America Inc., a unit of British oil company BP PLC, agreed to spend $161 million on pollution controls, pay another $12 million in penalties, and spend another $6 million on a project to reduce air pollution near its Texas City, Texas refinery.

The settlement with the Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency follows a deadly explosion and fire in March 2005 that killed 15 people and injured more than 170 others.

In that incident, the company has already pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Air Act and agreed to pay a separate fine of $50 million.