BP accepts $1.75m fine in Ohio flare case

15 March 1999 22:04  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (CNI)--BP Oil will pay a $1.75m (Euro1.62m) fine for Toledo, Ohio pollution violations as part of an unprecedented settlement described Monday by the US government as a warning to all refineries and flaring facilities nationwide.

The agreement makes BP the first in the US to monitor flaring under a court order and report to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) each time an incident occurs, according to a statement from the US Department of Justice (DOJ).

"This action serves notice to refineries nationwide that if they divert gases away from pollution control equipment or fail to have pollution control equipment available on a continuous basis, they do so at the peril of facing enforcement actions," warned Steven Herman, assistant administrator for enforcement at the EPA.

BP Oil released a statement noting that the operational issues involved "have long since been corrected."

The agreement establishes a process to determine which flaring incidents result from legitimate malfunctions and which do not. It stems from an investigation of BP's sulphur recovery operations at the company's refinery in Toledo.

DOJ said the settlement is designed to ensure BP's current expansion project at Toledo does not adversely impact the environment. The company must assure that its sulphur recovery units operate within the limits of sulphur dioxide releases allowed under current air permits.

In its statement, BP said the refinery performs above its permit limits today with sulphur emissions well below those set by the EPA. It also noted that the refinery is in the midst of a major repositioning project that includes construction of two state-of-the-art sulphur recovery units.

BP will pay a civil penalty of $1.4m and spend another $350 000 on two supplemental environmental projects.

The settlement still requires final approval by the US district court in Toledo.

By: Gary Taylor
+1 713 525 2653

< previous article(ICIS Podcast: Chemical News Central 2 November 2009)

For the latest chemical news, data and analysis that directly impacts your business sign up for a free trial to ICIS news - the breaking online news service for the global chemical industry.

Get the facts and analysis behind the headlines from our market leading weekly magazine: sign up to a free trial to ICIS Chemical Business.

Printer Friendly