EPA v. MARKWEST LIBERTY BLUESTONE, LLC (SARSEN GAS PROCESSING PLANT)

Case summary

On March 28, 2017, the Regional Judicial Officer signed a Final Order, ratifying the Consent Agreement with MarkWest Liberty Bluestone, LLC for the Sarsen gas processing plant. The Region also entered an Administrative Order on Consent to address Clean Air Act compliance at the plant on March 23, 2017. MarkWest owns and operates a facility which processes natural gas located at 774 Prospect Road, Evans City, Pennsylvania. On July 25, 2012, EPA conducted a compliance inspection of the Facility and discovered violations of the Clean Air Act including violations of regulations for new or modified gas processing plants issued under Section 111 of the Act at 40 C.F.R. Part 60, Subpart KKK. In the Consent Agreement, MarkWest has agreed to pay a civil penalty of Ninety-Five Thousand Dollars ($95,000) for these violations. EPA alleges MarkWest failed to conduct leak detection and repair between April 2011 and April 2013 and failed to operate a vapor recovery system and control device to reduce volatile organic compound emissions from July 25, 2012 until August 15, 2012. The Order under Section 113 of the Act was negotiated with MarkWest and requires MarkWest at the Facility to develop a leak detection and repair (LDAR) document identifying applicable units, establish a tracking program for LDAR, conduct a LDAR audit with comparative monitoring and a corrective action plan where needed for deficiencies, and requires compliance with the New Source Performance Standards for newer natural gas processing plants at 40 C.F.R. part 60, Subpart OOOO which has more stringent LDAR requirements than Subpart KKK. Candace Headen handled the case first in Region 3 ORC, but presently from Region 6 ORC.

Defendants (1)

• MARKWEST LIBERTY BLUESTONE, LLCNamed in settlement

Facilities (2)

• MARKWEST LIBERTY BLUESTONE LLC/SARSEN GAS PROC PLT

  774 PROSPECT RD, EVANS CITY, PA, 16033-7830

  Registry ID: 110060012418

• MARKWEST LIBERTY BLUESTONE LLC/SARSEN GAS PROC PLT

  774 PROSPECT RD, EVANS CITY, PA, 16033-7830

  Registry ID: 110060012418

Statutes cited

• CAA 111 — New Source Performance Standards

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• MARKWEST LIBERTY BLUESTONE, LLC (SARSEN GAS PROCESSING PLANT)entered 2017-03-23

  Primary law: CAA

Timeline (2 milestones)

• 2017-03-23Final Order Issued
• 2017-04-18Enforcement Action Data Entered