US Hess to invest $45m to settle pollution allegations at NJ refinery

25 April 2012 17:12  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (ICIS)--US oil firm Hess has agreed to invest more than $45m (€34m) in pollution controls at its New Jersey refinery near New York City and to pay an $850,000 penalty in a settlement reached with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), officials said on Wednesday.

The EPA had filed a complaint against Hess, alleging that the company made modifications to its 70,000 bbl/day Port Reading refinery in New Jersey that increased emissions - without first obtaining pre-construction permits and installing required pollution control equipment.

When fully implemented, the controls required by the settlement would reduce emissions of nitrogen oxide at the refinery by an estimated 181 tonnes/year, and they would also result in reductions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the agency said.

The settlement with Hess is the 31st under an EPA initiative to improve environmental compliance among refiners through enforcement settlements. The first of these settlements was reached in 2000.

As a result of the settlements, US refiners have agreed to invest more than $6bn in pollution controls designed to reduce emissions of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and other pollutants by over 360,000 tonnes/year, the EPA added.

($1 = €0.76)

By: Stefan Baumgarten
+1 713 525 2653

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