EPA fines Chevron Utah refinery

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on Wednesday that a settlement has been agreed with Chevron in which the company has agreed to pay a total of US$ 384 000 in penalties for alleged violations of the Clean Air Act at its refinery in Salt Lake City.

These violations were discovered during an inspection by the EPA and the state of Utah, which found that Chevron had made changes to the refinery’s fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit, resulting in excess emissions of nitrous oxides.

Increased emissions put Chevron in breach of Prevention of Significant Deterioration requirements.

Mike Gaydosh, director of EPA’s enforcement program in Denver, commented that ‘it is critical that companies conduct business responsibly and obtain the proper permits before making infrastructure changes that increase emissions of air pollutants.

This settlement will help to ensure that the company is operating in accordance with industry standards to protect the environment and the health of local communities’.

The settlement

The agreed settlement dictates that Chevron must install pollution controls on the three engines at the refinery in order to mitigate the effects of past excess emissions by reducing nitrogen oxide emissions at a rate of approximately 50 tpy.

In addition, Chevron is required to spend US$ 100 000 to support the purchase of four new compressed natural gas school buses for the Jordan School District. Operation of these buses is expected to save approximately 6338 gal/y of diesel.

Edited from various sources by Emma McAleavey.

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/gas-processing/01082013/epa_fines_chevron524/