Oil Giant Settles Alleged Clean Air Act Violations for $300 Million

In a settlement reached with the US EPA, the US Department of Justice, and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ), a major oil and gas company has agreed to install and operate air pollution control and monitoring technology at five of its petrochemical and plastics facilities in
Texas and Louisiana.

In addition to the facility upgrades, which will cost an estimated $300 million, the company will pay a $2.5 million civil penalty for alleged Clean Air Act violations and complete supplemental environmental projects at a cost of about another $2.5 million.

According to the consent decree, the company allegedly violated the following Federal and State air pollution regulatory requirements:

New Source Performance Standards (NSPS)

New Source Performance Standards, found at 40 CFR 60, are technology-based standards developed by US EPA to control air pollution from regulated facilities. The NSPS rules require facilities to operate in a way that minimizes emissions.

National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs)

NESHAPs require facilities to apply specific technologies and controls to specific equipment to prevent the volume of Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs) emitted from that equipment from exceeding EPA’s thresholds. The NESHAPs can be found at 40 CFR 61 and 63.

Title V Permitting

Title V of the Clean Air Act establishes permitting requirements for sources of air pollution. Facilities operating under a Title V permit must operate in compliance with the provisions of that permit and certify compliance periodically.

Have questions about your responsibilities for Clean Air Act compliance? The Clean Air Act Online Course provides trusted training on major EPA Clean Air Act permitting, New Source Review, NAAQS, NSPS, NESHAPS, greenhouse gases, and more.
 

Complete EPA Regulations Training—North New Jersey

Are you responsible for environmental compliance at your facility? Join us on November 5–6 for the Complete Environmental Regulations Workshop in Sparta, NJ to get up to speed on the latest air, water, and chemical regulations that impact your business.

From the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act to revised TSCA chemical reporting rules, inventory and release reporting under EPCRA and CERCLA, and basics of the hazardous waste management under RCRA—you will find out which 40 CFR programs impact you and how to achieve compliance.   
 

Tags: Act, Air, Clean, EPA, fines and penalties, New Source Review