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Total Petrochemicals U.S.A. Settlement

WASHINGTON – Total Petrochemical USA Inc. (Total) will pay a $2.9 million penalty and upgrade pollution controls at its Port Arthur, Texas refinery, to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Air Act, the Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today.

Total will make changes to its facility, estimated to cost $37 million, that will significantly reduce the facility’s emissions of air pollutants. Once fully completed, the measures Total will implement will reduce annual emissions of nitrogen oxides by more than 180 tons, sulfur dioxide by more than 800 tons, and carbon monoxide by more than 120 tons.

The company has agreed to upgrade leak detection and repair practices and to implement programs to minimize the flaring of hazardous gases, which can cause can cause serious respiratory problems and exacerbate asthma. Total will also adopt strategies to ensure the proper handling of benzene wastewater, which is a byproduct of processing operations at the refinery.

“This settlement is another success in EPA's overall effort to reduce refinery pollution,” said Granta Nakayama, EPA’s Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “With today’s settlement, 86 refineries in 25 states across the nation have agreed to address environmental problems and invest over $4.5 billion in new pollution control technologies.”

“Today’s settlement shows a commitment by the company to significantly reduce the emissions that can have serious health effects,” said Matthew J. McKeown, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “We are committed to enforcing the laws that protect the environment and public health, in an effort to continue bringing the refinery industry into compliance.”

Enforcement Priorities

For additional information, contact:

Patricia Welton
USEPA Region 6
1445 Ross Avenue
Dallas, Texas 75202
(214) 665-7237
welton.patricia@epa.gov

Civil Enforcement | Cleanup Enforcement | Criminal Enforcement

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