EPA settlement could impact refineries, petrochemical plants
The US Environmental Protection Agency has reached an agreement to settle a lawsuit filed by community groups in Texas and Louisiana forcing it to review, and if necessary, revise formulas that refineries and chemical plants use to report toxic emission levels.
The proposed settlement, published in the Feb. 25 Federal Register, resolves a complaint filed on May 1, 2013, alleging that EPA failed to perform nondiscretionary duties mandated by the Clean Air Act to review, and where required, revise emission factors used by refiners and chemical manufacturers to calculate reportable toxic releases from their plants, EPA said.
Specifically, the lawsuit called for EPA to review the methodologies used to measure emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides (NOX) from liquid storage tanks, industrial flares, and wastewater systems.
Although the federal Clean Air Act requires EPA to review and update these emission factors at least once every 3 years, the consortium of plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit—led by Environmental Integrity Project on behalf of its clients Air Alliance Houston, Community In-Power and Development Association, Louisiana Bucket Brigade, and Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy—allege that EPA has not reviewed some of these factors in over 20 years.
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http://www.ogj.com/articles/2014/02/epa-settlement-could-impact-refineries-petrochemical-plants.html