Colorado Petroleum Distributors to Pay $2.5 Million to Settle Clean Air Act Allegations of Illegal Mixing and Distribution of Gasoline / Action ensures that gasoline meets fue...
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
and the U.S. Justice Department today announced a settlement with
Rocky Mountain Pipeline System, LLC, Western Convenience Stores,
Inc., and Offen Petroleum, Inc. to resolve claims that they
illegally mixed and distributed more than 1 million gallons of
gasoline that did not meet Clean Air Act emissions and fuel quality
requirements. The companies will pay a $2.5 million civil penalty
and conduct an environmental project designed to offset the harm
caused by their failure to meet federal gasoline quality
requirements. Gasoline that does not meet Clean Air Act standards
for fuel can result in increased emissions from car tailpipes,
which can harm Americans’ health, affect vehicle performance,
and in some cases can damage engines and emission controls.
"Complying with the Clean Air Act’s fuel regulations is
critical to ensuring that our nation’s important emissions
standards are met,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant
administrator for EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance
Assurance. "Today’s settlement shows that EPA is committed to
protecting the air we breathe by reducing illegal air
pollution."
“Providing and distributing gasoline that fails to meet the
Clean Air Act standards for fuel can have serious consequences for
human health and the environment,” said Ignacia S. Moreno,
assistant attorney general for the Environment and Natural
Resources Division of the Department of Justice. “This
settlement appropriately requires that the distributors undertake a
project that will result in major annual reductions in emissions of
volatile organic compounds in order to offset any harm they may
have caused.”
The companies produced millions of gallons of illegal gasoline by
mixing natural gasoline, a byproduct of natural gas production, and
ethanol with gasoline previously certified to meet Clean Air Act
requirements at two terminals in Colorado. The Clean Air Act allows
refiners to produce gasoline by adding other fuel sources to
previously certified gasoline; however, the blended gasoline must
still meet applicable emissions and fuel standards including
compliance with sampling, testing, and quality assurance
requirements.
The companies’ gasoline blending operations may have
resulted in more than 10 tons of excess emissions of volatile
organic compounds (VOCs), which can produce smog or ground level
ozone. Human exposure to ozone can cause lung damage, aggravate
asthma, and cause difficulty breathing. EPA sets gasoline standards
to reduce air pollutants from motor vehicles, such as VOCs,
particulate matter and toxic air pollutants, because they
contribute to serious public health and environmental problems. To
offset any excess emissions, the companies will install a geodesic
dome cover on a gasoline storage tank at one of the terminals where
the fuel blending took place. The cover is expected to reduce VOC
emissions by more than 8.6 tons annually.
The consent decree is subject to a 30-day public comment period and
final court approval.
More information about this settlement:
http://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/cases/civil/caa/rockymountainpipeline.html