WASHINGTON – The federal government on Thursday announced a $241.5 million settlement with Marathon Oil over alleged air quality violations at the company's oil and gas operations on the Forth Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Justice said the settlement requires Marathon to reduce climate- and health-damaging emissions from its facilities and will result in a reduction of more than 2.3 million tons of pollutant emissions.

“This historic settlement – the largest civil penalty ever imposed for stationary source violations of the Clean Air Act – will provide cleaner air on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation and other North Dakota communities while holding Marathon accountable for its illegal pollution,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.

There was no immediate response from those responsible for the marathon to a request for comment.

According to federal authorities, Marathon is the country's 22nd largest oil producer, but also the seventh largest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions in the oil and gas industry. A large proportion of the emissions come from flaring, i.e. the burning of exhaust gases in the industry, which also releases methane, which is a particularly strong contributor to climate change.

The agreement will see Marathon save more than 2.25 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions over the next five years. According to the authorities, this would be equivalent to taking about 487,000 cars off the road for a year. It will also avoid nearly 110,000 tons of volatile organic compounds.