The RMI Environmental Protection Authority issued a “Notice of Violation” to the Marshalls Energy Company last month for the significant fuel spill on the main road between the tank farm and the power plant April 3.
The Notice of Violation includes a $20,000 fine for the incident that resulted in two private vehicles that drove through the spill catching fire and burning.
EPA authorities said that MEC had agreed to pay the fine and has already begun making payments to EPA.
In somewhat dry language, the Notice of Violation narrates the April 3 situation.
“On or about April 3, 2026, the RMI Environmental Protection Authority (RMI EPA) identified that Marshalls Energy Company (MEC) discharged or permitted the discharge of diesel fuel onto a public roadway in Delap Village, Majuro.
“During the inspection, it was observed that approximately 150 meters of public roadway was contaminated by diesel fuel originating from MEC operations.”
The Notice of Violation said that MEC had “no effective containment measures…in place at the time of the inspection, and the spill posed an immediate fire hazard and risk to public safety.”
During the spill, while the vehicles were burning on the power plant side of the road across from the MEC fuel tanks, EPA workers familiar with managing fuel spills responded and assisted in the cleanup and containment of the spill of several thousand gallons of diesel onto the road. In their initial situation report about the spill aftermath, EPA staff at the scene said they could not find any MEC employees who were knowledgeable about MEC’s fuel spill containment plan or how to implement adequate containment procedures.
“MEC personnel demonstrated inadequate spill response capability at the time of the incident,” EPA said in the Notice of Violation issued May 11.
The aftermath of the spill on the night of April 3 resulted in the main road being closed off that night and most of Saturday to allow for cleanup work to continue. Traffic was routed onto Delap Dock to avoid the diesel-contaminated area.
The two vehicles that caught fire as they drove through the lake of fuel in front of the tank farm were destroyed by the fire. The passengers were able to get out of the vehicles safely before they burned.