The Hess refinery is ten miles from New York City in the most densely populated region on the East Coast.
Hess Corporation has agreed to pay an $850,000 civil penalty and spend more than $45 million in new pollution controls to settle Clean Air Act violations at its Port Reading, N.J., refinery, EPA said today.
The controls required by the court settlement are estimated to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxide (NOx) by 181 tons per year, and result in additional reductions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). High concentrations of NOx and VOCs, key pollutants emitted from refineries, can have adverse impacts on human health, including contributing to childhood asthma, and are significant contributors to smog.
With today’s settlement, 108 refineries operating in 32 states and territories – more than 90% of the total refining capacity in the United States – are now under court agreements to reduce emissions of pollutants. Because of the settlement agreements, refiners have agreed to invest more than $6 billion in new pollution controls designed to reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and other pollutants by more than 360,000 tons per year.
The settlement requires new and upgraded pollution controls, more stringent emission limits, and aggressive monitoring, leak-detection and repair practices to reduce emissions from refinery equipment and processing units.
“This settlement is the 31st such agreement with petroleum refineries across the nation,” said Ignacia S. Moreno, assistant attorney general for the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice.
The government’s complaint alleged that Hess made modifications to its refinery that increased emissions without first obtaining pre-construction permits and installing required pollution control equipment. The Clean Air Act requires major sources of air pollution to obtain such permits before making changes that would result in a significant emissions increase of any pollutant.
The state of New Jersey will receive half of the civil penalty.
