Chevron Phillips reaches settlement to clean up three chemical plants in the US

The company will pay a $3.4m civil penalty and is estimated to spend around $118m to resolve allegations it failed to operate and monitor industrial flares

Chevron Phillips Chemical Company has agreed to clean up three petrochemical manufacturing facilities in Texas to resolve allegations it violated the Clean Air Act and state air pollution laws.

It has reached a settlement with the Justice Department to make upgrades and perform compliance measures at the facilities in Cedar Bayou, Port Arthur and Sweeney, which will eliminate thousands of tons of air pollution from flares.

The pollution controls, once fully implemented, are estimated to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, methane and ethane, by more than 75,000 tons per year.

In addition, ozone-forming VOCs – a key component in the formation of smog or ground-level ozone – are also expected to be reduced by 1,528 tons per year and toxic air pollutants, including benzene, by 158 tons annually.

The clean-up is estimated to cost $118 million (£90.2m) in total, in addition to Chevron Phillips paying a $3.4 million (£2.6m) civil penalty.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cites a complaint filed with a consent decree, which states the company failed to properly operate and monitor its industrial flares, which resulted in excess emissions of harmful air pollution at the three Texas facilities.

The EPA adds Chevron Phillips, in addition, regularly “oversteamed” the flares and failed to comply with other key operating constraints to ensure the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) contained in the gases routed to the flares are efficiently combusted.

The company will take several steps to minimise the waste gas sent to its flares at each facility, including operating a flare gas recovery system which will allow Chevron Phillips to reuse these gases as a fuel at its facilities or a product for sale.

It is also required to amend its air quality permits to limit the flow of gas at selected flares and create waste minimisation plans for each facility that may further reduce flaring.

Larry Starfield, Acting Assistant Administrator for the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance said: “This settlement will require Chevron Phillips to install pollution control and emissions monitoring equipment at three facilities in Texas, reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and other harmful gases by thousands of tons per year.

“Those controls, plus a requirement for fence line monitoring of benzene emissions and corrective actions when benzene readings are high, will result in significant benefits for the local communities in Texas.”

A spokesperson for the company added: “Chevron Phillips Chemical strives to ensure compliance, especially regarding flaring and we are fully committed to environmental stewardship.

“We are pleased to have this matter settled with the EPA and are making additional investments to proactively reduce our environmental footprint as part of our sustainability strategy. The safety of our personnel, customers and neighbouring communities is a core value of our company and we remain committed to responsible environmental management.”

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