Chevron U.S.A., Inc. agreed to pay a $6 million penalty and $1 million for environmental improvement projects to settle claims of Clean Air Act violations at its offshore loading terminal near El Segundo, California. The government alleged that vapors known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) leaked into the atmosphere, and contributed to the area’s smog problem, as petroleum products were transferred to marine vessels at the terminal. Chevron’s records showed that from 1995 to 1998, the facility did not use pollution control technology required by the federal Clean Air Act and California environmental regulations.