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Equistar Chemicals Settlement

(Washington, D.C. - July 19, 2007) Equistar Chemicals LP, headquartered in Houston, Texas, will spend more than $125 million on pollution controls and cleanup to address a myriad of air, water and hazardous waste violations at seven petrochemical plants in Texas, Illinois, Iowa and Louisiana, the Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today.

The consent decree, lodged in federal district court in Illinois, requires Equistar to invest in comprehensive control and operational measures expected to significantly reduce air, water and hazardous waste pollution from the seven manufacturing facilities. The states of Iowa, Illinois and Louisiana have all joined the federal government in today's settlement.

"Equistar will be the first in the petrochemical industry to adopt these stricter environmental measures, many of which will go beyond what the regulations would require," said Granta Nakayama, EPA's Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "Through these investments in environmental compliance, Equistar has a chance to turn its performance record around, and ultimately become a leader in the industry by running a cleaner, less polluting facility."

For more information, contact:

Bruce Fergusson
Special Litigation & Projects Division
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Ave, NW MC 2243A
Washington, DC 20460
(202) 564-1261
fergusson.bruce@epa.gov

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