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BP Texas City Clean Air Act Settlement

(Washington, D.C. – Feb. 19, 2009) BP Products North America Inc. has agreed to spend more than $161 million on pollution controls, enhanced maintenance and monitoring, and improved internal management practices to resolve Clean Air Act violations at its Texas City, Texas refinery, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Justice Department announced today. The company will also pay a $12 million civil penalty and spend $6 million on a supplemental project to reduce air pollution in Texas City.

Today’s settlement addresses the company’s noncompliance with a 2001 consent decree and Clean Air Act regulations requiring strict controls on benzene and benzene-containing wastes generated during petroleum refining operations. The company is required to upgrade control equipment and processes used to handle these materials and conduct in-depth audits to ensure compliance and minimize the amount of benzene-containing wastes generated at the refinery. It is estimated that these actions will reduce emissions of benzene and other volatile organic compounds by approximately 6,000 pounds annually.

“BP failed to fulfill its obligations under the law, putting air quality and public health at risk,” said Catherine R. McCabe, Acting Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today’s settlement will benefit the people living in and around Texas City, many of whom come from minority and low-income backgrounds.”


For more information:

For additional information, contact:

John Fogarty
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2242A)
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Washington, DC 20460-0001
(202) 564-8865
forgarty.johnpc@epa.gov

Civil Enforcement | Cleanup Enforcement | Criminal Enforcement

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