News Release from EPA - Kansas Refinery

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 6, 2012

Kansas Refinery to Pay Nearly $1 Million Penalty for Environmental Violations Related to Air Emissions

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Justice announced that Coffeyville Resources Refining & Marketing (CRRM) has agreed to pay a civil penalty of more than $970,000 and invest more than $4.25 million on new pollution controls and $6.5 million in operating costs to resolve alleged violations of air, superfund and community right-to-know laws at its Coffeyville, Kan. refinery. The settlement will benefit the environment and human health by requiring new and upgraded pollution controls, more stringent emission limits, and more aggressive leak-detection and repair practices to reduce emissions from refinery equipment and process units. Sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxide (NO_x), two pollutants emitted from refineries, can cause respiratory problems like asthma and are significant contributors to acid rain, smog and haze.
“The Clean Air Act is designed to protect people’s health from emissions of harmful pollutants,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today’s settlement will protect residents living near the facility and ensure that the necessary pollution controls are installed to protect the residents of southeastern Kansas in the future.”
“This settlement puts CRRM on a level playing field with the more than 100 petroleum refineries that have agreed to implement aggressive pollution control measures, thereby reducing the threats posed by harmful emissions to area residents,” said Ignacia S. Moreno, assistant attorney general for the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice. “The agreement reaffirms our commitment to ensure that the petroleum refining industry complies with the nation’s Clean Air Act.”

The settlement resolves alleged violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA), Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), and Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). Coffeyville allegedly made modifications to its refinery that increased emissions without first obtaining pre-construction permits and installing required pollution control equipment. The CAA requires major sources of air pollution to obtain such permits before making changes that would result in a significant emissions increase of any pollutant. The settlement also resolves violations in which CRRM failed to timely notify state and local emergency responders of releases of hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide from the refinery, as required by the CERCLA and EPCRA.

Once fully implemented, the pollution controls required by the settlement will annually reduce an estimated 200 tons of NOx emissions and more than 110 tons of SO₂ emissions. The settlement will also reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, carbon monoxide and other pollutants that affect air quality. CRRM has also agreed to perform a voluntary environmental project at the refinery valued at more than $1.2 million. The project will benefit the environment and surrounding communities by reducing emissions of volatile organic compounds and hydrogen sulfide, reducing the frequency of future acid gas flaring incidents, and conserve 15 million gallons of water each year that would previously have come from the Verdigris River.
The settlement with CRRM is the 30th under an EPA initiative to improve compliance among petroleum refiners and to reduce significant amounts of air pollution from refineries nationwide through comprehensive, company-wide settlements. The first of EPA’s settlements was reached in 2000, and with today’s settlement, 107 refineries operating in 32 states and territories – more than 90 percent of the total refining capacity in the United States – are under judicially enforceable agreements to significantly reduce emissions of pollutants. As a result of the settlement agreements, refiners have agreed to invest more than $6 billion in new pollution controls designed to reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and other pollutants by more than 360,000 tons per year.
CRRM’s refinery has the capacity to refine more than 115,000 barrels of crude oil per day, producing gasoline, diesel fuels, and propane.
The State of Kansas has joined in the settlement and will receive a portion of the civil penalty.

The consent decree, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and court approval.
More information on the CRRM settlement:
http://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/cases/civil/caa/coffeyville.html
More information on other petroleum refinery settlements:
http://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/cases/civil/caa/oil/index.html

News Release from EPA Region 3

Allegheny-Ludlum to pay $535,000 in cleanup costs for Breslube-Penn Superfund site

       PHILADELPHIA (February 22, 2012) -- In settlement papers filed in federal district court, Allegheny-Ludlum has agreed to reimburse the federal government for $535,000 of past cleanup costs at the Breslube-Penn Superfund site in Coraopolis, Pa., the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today.

Allegheny Ludlum is the last of 158 responsible parties to reach a settlement with EPA since 2005 over cleanup costs associated with the site, where EPA continues to oversee ongoing cleanup activities being paid for by the responsible parties.

Under the Superfund law (the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act), the landowners, waste generators and waste transporters that are responsible for the contamination of a Superfund site must either clean up the site, or reimburse the government or other parties for cleanup activities.

In June 1996, EPA added the Breslube-Penn Site to the EPA’s Superfund National Priority List of sites where hazardous contaminants could impact public health and/or the environment. Industrial activities at the site contaminated soil and groundwater with volatile organic compounds, semi-volatile organic compounds, PCBs, metals, and cyanide.

Wiseman Oil, Inc constructed a fuel oil recycling facility on the site in 1978 that was used to manufacture lubricating oil by recycling waste oil. After Wiseman Oil became bankrupt in 1982, the property was purchased by Breslube-Penn Inc., which continued used oil reprocessing until 1986. The facility was used as a used oil transfer station from 1987 until it was closed in 1992.

Additional information about the ongoing cleanup and site history is available at http://www.epa.gov/reg3hwmd/super/sites/PAD089667695/index.htm . 

EPA Seeks Comments

News release from EPA Region 2:

EPA Seeks Public Input on Plan for Cleanup at

American Cyanamid Superfund Site in Bridgewater Township, N.J.

Contact: Elias Rodriguez, 212-637-3664, rodriguez.elias@epa.gov

(New York, N.Y. - Feb. 16, 2012) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a cleanup plan for contaminated soil, ground water and six waste disposal areas at the American Cyanamid Superfund Site in Bridgewater Township, New Jersey, located on the Raritan River. The soil, ground water and waste disposal areas,  called impoundments, are contaminated with volatile organic compounds and other hazardous materials. The ground water underlying the site is highly contaminated with benzene. Area residents are serviced by a public water supply that provides a safe source of drinking water.

The EPA is encouraging the public to comment on the plan through March 31, 2012 and will hold a public meeting on March 8, 2012 at 7:00 PM at the Somerset County Vocational and Technical High School, 14 Vogt Drive, Bridgewater, New Jersey.

"The cleanup plan for the American Cyanamid site is an important milestone in the EPA  efforts to protect the health of people who live or work near the facility and water quality in the Raritan River," said EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck. “EPA encourages the public to comment on the proposed plan and to learn more about it at the March 8 public meeting.”

Many volatile organic compounds are known to cause cancer in animals and benzene can cause cancer in people. Some volatile organic compounds have no known health effects. The extent and nature of potential health effects depend on many factors, including the level and length of exposure.

The American Cyanamid Superfund site has a history of industrial pollution dating back to 1915. For nearly 100 years, prior owners used the location for manufacturing chemicals. The site was placed on the federal Superfund list in 1983 after hazardous chemicals were found in the soil and ground water. The 435-acre Superfund site contained various areas used for the disposal of chemical sludge and other waste. In 1998, the EPA deleted 140 acres of the site from the Superfund list after they were evaluated and determined to be acceptable for redevelopment. The TD Bank Ballpark Stadium was subsequently built on a portion of the area. In 2009, Pfizer Inc. assumed responsibility for the American Cyanamid site as part of its purchase of the Wyeth Holding Corporation, a prior owner.

Because of the nature and complexity of the contamination at the site, the EPA divided the investigation and cleanup into phases. The plan announced today is the first phase of the cleanup. The proposed plan announced today details approaches to address contaminated soil, ground water and six waste disposal areas (Impoundments 3, 4, 5, 13, 17 and 24). Two additional impoundments (Impoundments 1 and 2) are the focus of a separate study to consider the feasibility of options to address them.

The highly toxic material in Impoundments 3, 4, and 5 will be treated at their current locations by introducing a mixing agent into the waste to make it more solid. This treatment method is a proven technology that immobilizes contaminants to prevent their migration. After this step, the waste disposal areas will be covered with a barrier system that traps vapors and prevents contaminated air from escaping into the atmosphere.

The soil at the site will be addressed using three different methods depending on the extent of the pollution in the soil. Soil that consists of tarry material or is highly toxic, similar to the waste within Impoundment 3, 4, and 5, will be excavated and combined with the material in the three impoundments. It will be treated with the existing waste in Impoundments 3, 4 and 5. Soil that contains volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds will be covered with a vapor control barrier and mitigation system to prevent the release of vapors into the air. Soil that has a lower level of pollution will be covered by a 24-inch thick engineered cap that will serve as a barrier that prevents direct contact. Additionally, the EPA will conduct an ecological study of the waste in Impoundments 13, 17 and 24, which are located in the flood plain of the site, to determine the appropriate treatment for these materials.

A currently operating ground water collection system, which has already treated millions of gallons of contaminated ground water at the site, will be improved by relocating the primary extraction wells to a more central location. Several new extraction wells will be added to enhance the efficiency of the ground water collection system. In addition, a recovery system for collecting and treating shallow contaminated ground water from portions of the site will be constructed at several locations. This system will prevent contaminated ground water from seeping into the Raritan River, Cuckhold’s Brook and Middle Brook. The details of these improvements will be developed during the remedial design phase of the cleanup project.

The proposed plan also calls for the placement of controls such as legal restrictions on land use to minimize the potential of future exposure and to ensure that the cleanup measures are not disturbed. Throughout the cleanup, monitoring will be conducted to ensure the effectiveness of the remedy. The EPA will conduct periodic reviews to ensure that the cleanup remains protective of public health and the environment.

The EPA is accepting public comments on the proposed plan until March 31, 2012. Written comments may be mailed or emailed to:

Joseph Battipaglia, Remedial Project Manager

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

290 Broadway, 19th Floor

New York, New York 10007-1866

Email: Battipaglia.joseph@epa.gov

The EPA has a website to inform the community about the site at: http://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/npl/american_cyanamid.

Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/eparegion2.

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EPA Reaches Settlement with Companies to Pay Cleanup Costs

News Release from EPA Region 3:

EPA reaches settlement with companies to pay cleanup costs for Occidental Chemical Corp. Superfund site

       PHILADELPHIA (January 25, 2012) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced that current and former owners and operators of the Occidental Chemical Corporation Superfund Site in Lower Pottsgrove Township, Montgomery County, Pa. have agreed to pay $2.1 million in past cleanup costs for the site.

In a consent decree filed in federal court by the Justice Department on behalf of EPA, the companies also assumed responsibility for all future cleanup costs at the site. The companies included Occidental Chemical Corporation (OxyChem), Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations and Glenn Springs Holdings, Inc.

Under the “Superfund” law, the landowners, waste generators and waste transporters that are responsible for the contamination of a Superfund site must either clean up the site, or reimburse the government or other parties for cleanup activities.

OxyChem currently owns the site where it manufactured polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic resins from 1980 to 2005. OxyChem purchased the site from Firestone Tire & Rubber Company(now known as Bridgestone Americas Tire operations), which manufactured tires and PVC there from approximately 1945 to 1980. Settling defendant Glenn Springs Holdings, Inc., a corporate affiliate of OxyChem, is the current operator of the site.   Glenn Springs assumed management of the site in 2005 after OxyChem closed its PVC-manufacturing facility.

From 1942 to 1985, operators used the site for disposal of industrial wastes including cutting oils, metal filings, tires, and PVC sludge resins. In 1989, EPA placed the site on its Superfund list of the nation’s most contaminated sites to address unsafe levels of trichloroethylene (“TCE”), vinyl chloride, and other hazardous substances in the soil and groundwater. OxyChem, under EPA oversight, performed remedial action at the site and completed construction in 2008.

            Additional information on the site is available at: http://www.epa.gov/reg3hwmd/super/sites/PAD980229298/index.htm .