TRENTON – Attorney General Peter
C. Harvey and Department
of Environmental Protection (DEP)
Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell today
announced that New Jersey, the federal
government and several other states have
reached a settlement with ConocoPhillips
Company. The settlement will require the
company to install major new pollution
controls at the Bayway Refinery in Linden
and at ten other refineries located throughout
the United States.
“This
settlement means cleaner, healthier air
for all of New Jersey,” said Acting
Governor Richard J. Codey. “We're
holding companies outside our borders
accountable and will continue to work
with companies here to fight pollution.”
Representatives
of the New Jersey Attorney General’s
Office and DEP negotiated provisions that
will require ConocoPhilips to spend approximately
$60 million on upgrades that will substantially
reduce harmful air pollution from the
Bayway Refinery. Deputy Attorney General
Scott B. Dubin and DEP Administrator for
Air Compliance and Enforcement Edward
M. Choromanski negotiated for New Jersey.
“This
agreement will have a real impact on the
lives of many New Jersey residents by
substantially reducing air pollution from
the Bayway Refinery,” said Attorney
General Harvey. “We negotiated $60
million in new pollution controls, which
will decrease harmful emissions that threaten
the health of people in the area, particularly
children with asthma and senior citizens
with respiratory ailments.”
“Today’s
announcement signifies a tremendous step
forward for public health and environmental
protection in New Jersey’s most
densely populated areas,” said Commissioner
Campbell. “By requiring ConocoPhillips
to improve the Bayway facility, the State
of New Jersey and the federal government
will reduce the public’s exposure
to particles that cause asthma, cardiovascular
disease and respiratory distress.
The
settlement requires ConocoPhillips to
control the highest sources of emissions
at the Bayway refinery. The pollution
control measures are expected to reduce
odors.
Reduction
of Volatile Organic Compound Emissions
The
settlement will reduce the Bayway refinery’s
annual volatile organic compound (VOC)
emissions by more than 50 tons. Bayway
currently emits more VOCs than the second-
and third-largest New Jersey refineries
combined.
As
part of an effort to reduce emissions
of VOCs such as benzene, ConocoPhillips
will install a cover on the Bayway refinery’s
wastewater separator by December 2008.
The installation of this cover, which
will cost at least $8 million, will reduce
VOC emissions at the water treatment unit
by 95 percent. The facility failed to
have an approved plan to control 90 percent
of emissions of VOCs, in violation of
state regulations. DEP would approve a
new plan that ConocoPhillips must submit
that will be based on actions required
under the settlement.
Reduction
of Emissions of Nitrogen Oxides and Sulfur
Dioxide
ConocoPhillips
must install new pollution controls that
will reduce by approximately 1,300 tons
per year the refinery’s emissions
of nitrogen oxides (NOx), which contribute
to the formation of ozone and thereby
aggravate respiratory ailments such as
asthma. In addition, ConocoPhillips will
install a new fuel gas system that will
reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2)
by thousands of tons per year. The required
measures also will reduce emissions of
fine nitrate and sulfate particles which,
when inhaled, can cause or contribute
to respiratory distress, cardiovascular
disease and premature death.
Summary
of Pollution Control Measures Mandated
by the Settlement
According
to the settlement, ConocoPhillips will
take the following actions at Bayway:
Install a cover on wastewater separator
or a new covered separator, and controls,
by December 2008. This measure, which
will cost at least $8 million, will reduce
emissions of VOCs at the treatment unit
by 95 percent.
The
other parties to the settlement regarding
violations of state and federal air pollution
laws are the United States, through the
Department of Justice and the Environmental
Protection Agency, as well as Pennsylvania,
Illinois, Louisiana and the Northwest
Clean Air Agency in Washington State.
Today’s
Consent Decree and Complaint were filed
in the U.S. District Court in Houston,
Texas. The Consent Decree is subject to
a public comment period and final court
approval.
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