Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

HTTPS

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

    • Environmental Topics
    • Air
    • Bed Bugs
    • Cancer
    • Chemicals, Toxics, and Pesticide
    • Emergency Response
    • Environmental Information by Location
    • Health
    • Land, Waste, and Cleanup
    • Lead
    • Mold
    • Radon
    • Research
    • Science Topics
    • Water Topics
    • A-Z Topic Index
    • Laws & Regulations
    • By Business Sector
    • By Topic
    • Compliance
    • Enforcement
    • Laws and Executive Orders
    • Regulations
    • Report a Violation
    • Environmental Violations
    • Fraud, Waste or Abuse
    • About EPA
    • Our Mission and What We Do
    • Headquarters Offices
    • Regional Offices
    • Labs and Research Centers
    • Planning, Budget, and Results
    • Organization Chart
    • EPA History

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. News Releases

EPA Issues Nearly $1.5M in Penalties to Three Facilities in Louisiana Parishes

Facilities inspected as part of Pollution Accountability Team enforcement effort following EPA Administrator Regan’s Journey to Justice tour of Parishes

October 31, 2024

Contact Information
Jennah Durant and Joe Robledo (R6press@epa.gov)
214-665-2200

DALLAS, TEXAS (Oct. 31, 2024) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) settled cases of alleged Clean Air Act violations at three facilities in Southern Louisiana as part of the agency’s focus on achieving results in communities with environmental justice concerns. The cases involve alleged unauthorized emissions of chemicals; violations of startup/shutdown/ malfunction requirements; and other requirements of the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants.   

“Many communities in Southern Louisiana live with a daily burden of pollution that would be unimaginable in other areas. EPA worked directly with these residents and used a variety of tools to assess potential violations from permitted facilities,” said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “These legal settlements hold the facilities accountable and will prevent future excess emissions from affecting nearby residents.”                    

The violations were found at DuPont Pontchartrain Works petrochemical facility in LaPlace; Vopak, Inc., in Hahnville; and Westlake Chemical (formerly Axiall) in Lake Charles. Inspections at these facilities were part of the Pollution Accountability Team, a special enforcement project developed as a follow-up to Administrator Michael S. Regan’s Journey to Justice tour in Louisiana. Inspection reports for these cases are available here.  

The DuPont settlement assesses a civil penalty of $480,000 and addresses violations including unauthorized emissions above the allowed limit at a benzene storage tank, and failure to comply with regulatory requirements for an open-ended line. Conditions of the settlement include: installing advanced equipment on the benzene storage tank, enhanced monitoring using EPA Method 21 and Optical Gas Imaging, a third-party audit of all conservation or emergency vents storing benzene or Group 1 liquids, recordkeeping and reporting requirements, and updating permits as needed.  

The Vopak settlement assesses a civil penalty of $168,000 and addresses violations at the company’s for-hire bulk storage terminal, which stores raw materials, product, and benzene-containing wastewater from an adjacent facility. Violations include unauthorized emissions from external floating roof tanks identified using EPA’s geospatial measurement of air pollution (“GMAP”) technology. The settlement requires the facility to conduct quarterly inspections of each floating roof tank, including rim seals; a permit and operations review conducted by an independent third-party auditor; and complete site-specific corrective actions.  

The Westlake settlement includes a civil penalty of $825,000 and addresses violations of startup, shutdown, and malfunction requirements and unauthorized emissions, among others. The settlement requires the company to submit a performance testing plan and conduct an additional performance test of its two thermal oxidizers, submit to EPA a list of all pressure relief devices used for hazardous air pollutants; conduct audio, visual and olfactory monitoring of these devices for ten months; and ensure its startup/shut down/malfunction plan complies with all regulatory and permit requirements.  

For more information on the Journey to Justice, visit https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/journey-justice.

For more information on the Pollution Accountability Team project, visit https://www.epa.gov/la/pollution-accountability-team. 

Related Links

  • Region 06
  • Read other EPA News Releases about Compliance and Enforcement
Contact Us about News Releases
Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on October 31, 2024
  • Assistance
  • Spanish
  • Arabic
  • Chinese (simplified)
  • Chinese (traditional)
  • French
  • Haitian Creole
  • Korean
  • Portuguese
  • Russian
  • Tagalog
  • Vietnamese
United States Environmental Protection Agency

Discover.

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Budget & Performance
  • Contracting
  • EPA www Web Snapshot
  • Grants
  • No FEAR Act Data
  • Plain Writing
  • Privacy
  • Privacy and Security Notice

Connect.

  • Data
  • Inspector General
  • Jobs
  • Newsroom
  • Regulations.gov
  • Subscribe
  • USA.gov
  • White House

Ask.

  • Contact EPA
  • EPA Disclaimers
  • Hotlines
  • FOIA Requests
  • Frequent Questions
  • Site Feedback

Follow.