(AGENPARL) – mer 06 settembre 2023 Issued: Sep 6, 2023 (5:07pm EDT)
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EPA reaches settlement with Suncor over Clean Air Act fuels violations at
Commerce City, Colorado, refineries
To address harm caused, Suncor will procure electric lawn and garden equipment
in impacted neighboring communities
Contact:
WASHINGTON – Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a
settlement with Suncor Energy (U.S.A.) Inc. (Suncor) resolving alleged
violations of the Clean Air Act’s fuels requirements at Suncor’s Commerce
City, Colorado refining operations. The noncompliant fuel produced by Suncor
resulted in excess amounts of hazardous air pollution, such as carcinogenic
benzene and volatile organic compounds released into the air and neighboring
communities. Suncor will pay a $160,660 civil penalty and has agreed to
implement a supplemental environmental project which requires the company to
spend at least $600,000 purchasing or subsidizing the purchase of electric
lawn and garden equipment that will be provided to residents, schools, and
local governments in the Commerce City/Denver area.
“This settlement demonstrates that EPA will hold refiners accountable when
the fuel they produce fails to meet legal requirements,” said Assistant
Administrator David M. Uhlmann of the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and
Compliance Assurance. “This settlement and the supplemental environmental
project that Suncor agreed to include will provide better air quality for
residents affected by Suncor’s misconduct.”
Suncor operates two refineries in Commerce City, Colorado that produce
petroleum products, including gasoline. The settlement resolves claims
relating to the benzene content and Reid vapor pressure (RVP) of gasoline that
Suncor produced. In 2021, Suncor produced over 32 million gallons of gasoline
at its Commerce City East Refinery with an average benzene concentration of
1.77 volume percent, which was above the maximum 1.30 volume percent standard.
In June 2022, Suncor produced over 1 million gallons of summer gasoline at its
Commerce City West Refinery with an RVP of 7.9 pounds per square inch (psi),
which was above the 7.8 psi standard. Suncor notified the EPA about both
violations.
Suncor has agreed to implement a supplemental environmental project that
requires the company to spend at least $600,000 purchasing or subsidizing the
purchase of electric lawn and garden equipment, including zero-emission
residential and commercial lawn mowers, leaf blowers, trimmers, edgers,
cutters, and chainsaws, as well as battery-packs, chargers, and accessories
that are necessary to support use of the electric equipment. The electric lawn
and garden equipment will be distributed to residents that live near
Suncor’s Commerce City refineries and local governments and schools located
within Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson,
Larimer, and Weld Counties in Colorado. Suncor will also scrap or destroy the
gasoline- or diesel-powered lawn and garden equipment that will be replaced by
the electric equipment.
The environmental project will reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds
(VOCs), including benzene, as well as nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and
greenhouse gases. VOCs include a variety of chemicals that may produce
adverse health effects such as eye, nose, and throat irritation, headaches,
nausea, and damage to the liver, kidney, and the central nervous system. VOCs
also contribute to the formation of ground level ozone. Breathing ozone can
trigger a variety of health problems, particularly for children, the elderly,
and anyone with lung diseases such as asthma. Ground level ozone can also have
harmful effects on sensitive vegetation and ecosystems.
This supplemental environmental project will reduce these air pollution
risks to local communities with environmental justice (EJ) concerns in the
Commerce City – North Denver area. The results from EJScreen, EPA’s
Environmental Justice screening and mapping tool, suggest a significant
potential for EJ concerns in the area due to a combination of high pollution
burden and population vulnerability.
This settlement was reviewed and ratified by the EPA’s Environmental
Appeals Board. View the 2023 CAA Fuels Administrative Settlements webpage.
This settlement follows another settlement finalized on Aug. 18, 2023, between
the EPA and Suncor resolving violations of requirements relating to chemical
accident prevention, toxic chemical release reporting, and community
right-to-know. Read information on that settlement via the August 18 news
release.
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