The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Justice have announced a settlement with Lima Refining Company (LRC), a subsidiary of Cenovus Energy, to address Clean Air Act violations at its refinery in Lima, Ohio.
As part of the agreement, LRC will pay a $19 million civil penalty and invest approximately $150 million in capital improvements. These investments include control technology expected to reduce benzene emissions by 4.34 tons per year, hazardous air pollutants (HAP) by 16.26 tons per year, and volatile organic compounds (VOC) by 219 tons per year. The Lima Refinery is located in an area with environmental justice concerns.
“Lima Refining unlawfully exposed the surrounding community to toxic benzene emissions and other hazardous pollutants,” said Assistant Administrator David Uhlmann of the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today’s settlement demonstrates how monitoring can help protect overburdened communities from harmful emissions from the oil and gas sector, including refineries. Lima will pay a substantial penalty for its violations and install $150 million in emissions controls that will provide cleaner air and healthier water to a community that deserves nothing less.”
“This settlement is part of an ongoing initiative to curtail illegal benzene and VOC emissions at refineries that have failed to allocate the necessary personnel and capital investments to ensure compliance with rules they have long been subject to,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Under the settlement, the refinery will implement controls that will greatly improve air quality and reduce health impacts on the overburdened community that surrounds the refinery.”
“Environmental justice is a core priority of our Office and of the Department. Through its illegal emissions of benzene, VOCs, and other pollutants from its facility, the LRC impermissibly violated the Clean Air Act and jeopardized the health Ohio’s residents,” said U.S Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “We will continue to be vigilant and strictly enforce environmental laws and regulations to protect our district’s residents from toxic pollutants. Ohioans should not have to worry about living and working in an area where air pollution from local industry could make them sick.”
Under this settlement, LRC will install flash columns to reduce benzene in wastewater streams leading to its treatment plant, cease operating or upgrade certain units at the refinery, and establish six air pollutant monitoring stations outside its fence line with publicly available results.
The United States’ complaint alleges that LRC violated federal regulations limiting benzene in refinery wastewater streams as well as HAP and VOC emissions at its Lima Refinery.
Benzene exposure is known to cause cancer in humans along with various short-term effects such as dizziness, headaches, eye irritation, skin irritation, respiratory tract irritation, unconsciousness at high levels; long-term exposure can lead to blood disorders including anemia.
VOCs contribute significantly to atmospheric reactions producing ozone which causes smog; ground-level ozone exposure can lead to breathing difficulties, aggravated asthma symptoms among other respiratory issues.
This settlement aligns with EPA's ongoing efforts focusing on communities historically marginalized or disproportionately exposed to pollution.
The proposed consent decree has been lodged in U.S District Court for Northern District Of Ohio pending public comment period followed by final court approval.
For more information about submitting comments or accessing settlement agreements visit Department Of Justice Proposed Consent Decree webpageExit EPA's website.
For further details regarding this case visit Lima Refinery Settlement Case Summary webpage.
