(AGENPARL) – ven 27 settembre 2024 Issued: Sep 27, 2024 (12:00pm EDT)
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EPA and Justice Department Announce Settlement to Reduce Benzene and Volatile
Organic Compounds Emissions from Wastewater at Lima Refining Company’s
Refinery in Ohio
Lima Refining Company will implement injunctive relief valued at an estimated
$150M to correct deficiencies and pay a penalty of $19M
WASHINGTON — Today, Sept. 27, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and
the Department of Justice announced a settlement with the Lima Refining
Company (LRC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Canadian-based Cenovus Energy, to
address violations of the Clean Air Act at its refinery in Lima, Ohio.
Under the settlement, LRC must pay a civil penalty of $19 million and
implement an estimated $150 million in capital investments, including control
technology expected to reduce emissions of benzene by an estimated 4.34 tons
per year, other hazardous air pollutants (HAP) by 16.26 tons per year and
other volatile organic compound emissions (VOC) by 219 tons per year. The Lima
Refinery is surrounded by a community with environmental justice concerns.
“Lima Refining unlawfully exposed the surrounding community to toxic benzene
emissions and other hazardous pollutants,”?said Assistant Administrator
David Uhlmann of the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance.
“Today’s settlement demonstrates how fenceline monitoring can help protect
overburdened communities from harmful emissions from the oil and gas sector,
including refineries. Lima will pay a substantial penalty for its violations
and install $150 million in emissions controls that will provide cleaner air
and healthier water to a community that deserves nothing less.” 1
“This settlement is part of an ongoing initiative to curtail illegal benzene
and VOC emissions at refineries that have failed to allocate the necessary
personnel and capital investments to ensure compliance with rules they have
long been subject to,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the
Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Under
the settlement, the refinery will implement controls that will greatly improve
air quality and reduce health impacts on the overburdened community that
surrounds the refinery.”
“Environmental justice is a core priority of our Office and of the
Department. Through its illegal emissions of benzene, VOCs, and other
pollutants from its facility, the LRC impermissibly violated the Clean Air Act
and jeopardized the health Ohio’s residents,” said U.S Attorney Rebecca
C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “We will continue to be
vigilant and strictly enforce environmental laws and regulations to protect
our district’s residents from toxic pollutants. Ohioans should not have to
worry about living and working in an area where air pollution from local
industry could make them sick.” 
As part of the settlement, LRC will install one or more flash columns to
reduce benzene in wastewater streams leading to its wastewater treatment plant
and will cease operating, replace or upgrade other units at the refinery. LRC
will also install six air pollutant monitoring stations to monitor air quality
outside of the refinery fence line and make the results publicly available.
The United States’ complaint, filed simultaneously with the settlement,
alleges that LRC violated federal regulations limiting benzene in refinery
wastewater streams, and HAP and VOC emissions at its Lima Refinery, as well as
the general requirement to use good air pollution control practices.
Benzene is known to cause cancer in humans. Short-term inhalation exposure to
benzene also may cause drowsiness, dizziness, headaches, as well as eye, skin
and respiratory tract irritation, and, at high levels, unconsciousness.
Long-term inhalation exposure can cause various disorders in the blood,
including reduced numbers of red blood cells and anemia in occupational
settings. Reproductive effects have been reported for women exposed by
inhalation to high levels, and adverse effects on the developing fetus have
been observed in animal tests.
VOCs, along with nitrous oxide, play a major role in the atmospheric reactions
that produce ozone, which is the primary constituent of smog. Ground-level
ozone exposure is linked to a variety of short- and long-term health problems,
including difficulty breathing, aggravated asthma, reduced lung capacity and
increased susceptibility to respiratory illnesses like pneumonia and
bronchitis.
This settlement is part of EPA’s and the Justice Department’s ongoing
focus on assisting communities that have been historically marginalized and
disproportionately exposed to pollution.
The proposed consent decree, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the
Northern District of Ohio, is subject to a public comment period and final
court approval. Information on submitting comment and access to the settlement
agreement is available on the Department of Justice Proposed Consent Decree
webpage.
For more information about the settlement, please visit the Lima Refinery
Settlement Case Summary webpage.
1 quote edited
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