Total UK: Fined GBP3.6 Million For UK Buncefield Disaster

By Lananh Nguyen Of Dow Jones Newswires LONDON (Dow Jones)--Total UK, the refining and marketing subsidiary of Total SA (TOT), Friday said it was fined GBP3.6 million for failing to prevent a huge fire its Buncefield oil storage depot in Dec. 2005. The fire at the Buncefield depot--the largest in peacetime Europe, and situated in Hemel Hempstead, to the north of London--injured 43 people and caused major damage to nearby property. Total, along with four other companies, was prosecuted by the U.K. Health and Safety Executive and the Environment Agency for the disaster. In November, Total pleaded guilty to three charges related to the disaster--failing to ensure the health and safety of its employees, failing to protect its employees from health and safety risks, and causing pollution in controlled waters. -By Lananh Nguyen, Dow Jones Newswires; +44 (0)20-7842-9479; lananh.nguyen@dowjones.com (END) Dow Jones Newswires July 16, 2010 07:31 ET (11:31 GMT)