EPA v. HUNT REFINING COMPANY/HUNT SOUTHLAND REFINING COMPANY

Case summary

The Hunt Refining Company facility was built in 1946 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. At that time the facility was an asphalt refinery which had the capacity to process 3500 barrels per day (bpd) of crude petroleum. Currently, this refinery has the capacity to process approximately 50,000 bpd of crude, which includes 15,000 bpd of coke and 15,000 bpd of diesel hydrotreater. This refinery produces gasoline and distillate fuels, home heating oil, diesel fuel, and paving and industrial grade asphalt. The refinery has heaters, boilers, two sulfur recovery units, but no fluidized catalytic cracking unit. In December 2003, Hunt Southland Refining Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hunt Refining Company purchased two asphalt refineries located in Sanderville and Lumberton, Mississippi, respectively from Southland Oil Company. These refineries have heaters and boilers, but no sulphur recovery units or fluidized catalytic cracking units. The Sanderville facility has the capacity to process approximately 12,500 bpd; and the Lumberton facility has the capacity to process approximately 7,000 bpd. These refineries are located near oil fields and receive a large percentage of their crude oil feedstock from those fields. Products from the refineries include finished roofing grade asphalt, paving grade asphalt, heavy gas oils, high sulfur diesel fuel, heavy naphtha and light straight run naphtha... 12/20/2007 - CD ENTERED (04-2008-C004). U.S. AND ALABAMA DEPT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MGMT, MISSISSIPPI COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY v. HUNT REFINING CO., AND HUNT SOUTHLAND REFINING COMPANY. WITHIN 30 DAYS, HUNT SHALL PAY A CIVIL PENALTY, IN THE AGGREGATE, OF $400,000 AS FOLLOWS (1) $200,000 TO THE U.S.; (2) $100,000 TO THE STATE OF ALABAMA; AND (3) $100,000 TO THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI. CD IS PART OF THE NAT'L PETROLEUM REFINERY INITIATIVE. SCOPE OF CD COVERS 3 OF HUNT'S PETROLEUM REFINERIES LOCATED IN TUSCALOOSA, AL; AND LUMBERTON AND SANDERSVILLE, MS. CD ADDRESSES ALL THE MARQUIS ISSUES IN THE INITIATIVE (LEAK DETECTION AND REPAIR, BENZENE NESHAPs, AND NSPS SUBPARTS A AND J (SULFUR DIOXIDE EMISSIONS FROM CLAUS SULFUR RECOVERY PLANS AND FLARING). PURSUANT TO THE CD, HUNT WILL PAY A PENALTY AND SPEND MORE THAN $48.5 MILLION IN NEW AND UPGRADED POLLUTION CONTROLS AT ITS REFINERIES. IN ADDITION, HUNT WILL SPEND $475,000 ON SEPs. SEPs INCLUDE IMPLEMENTATION OF UPGRADED CONTROLS TO REDUCE VOC EMISSIONS FROM WASTEWATER SYSTEM AT TUSCALOOSA REFINERY AND PURCHASE OF EMER PREPAREDNESS EQUIP FOR THE AID RESPONDERS IN VICKSBUR, MS, AND CHOCTAW COUNTY, AL. HUNT WILL IMPLEMENT INJUNCTIVE RELIEF FOR ALL MAXIMUM AVAILABLE CONTROL TECHNOLOGY (MACT) TRIGGERED BY LDAR APPLICABILITY INCLUDE (SUBPART CC [REFINERY MACT], ASPHALT MACT, AND ORGANIC LIQUIDS DISTRIBUTION MACT). THIS SETTLEMENT COMPONENT IS PARTICULARLY OUTSTANDING BECAUSE MOST OF HTE OTHER GLOBAL CDs IN THE INTITIATIVE DO NOT COVER MACT, WHICH IS A NON-MARQUIS ISSUE.

Defendants (2)

• HUNT REFINING COMPANYNamed in complaintNamed in settlement
• HUNT SOUTHLAND REFINING COMPANYNamed in complaintNamed in settlement

Facilities (4)

• HUNT SOUTHLAND REFINING COMPANY LLC

  7539 HIGHWAY 11 NORTH, LUMBERTON, MS, 39455

  Registry ID: 110000605248

• HUNT REFINING COMPANY

  1855 FAIRLAWN RD, TUSCALOOSA, AL, 35401

  Registry ID: 110000367102

• HUNT SOUTHLAND REFINING COMPANY LLC

  177 HANEY ROAD, HEIDELBERG, MS, 39477

  Registry ID: 110070104834

• HUNT SOUTHLAND REFINING COMPANY LLC

  7539 HIGHWAY 11 NORTH, LUMBERTON, MS, 39455

  Registry ID: 110000605248

Statutes cited

• CAA 112 — Hazardous Air Pollutants
• CAA 111 — New Source Performance Standards

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• HUNT REFINING COMPANY (04-2008-C004)entered 2007-12-20

  Primary law: CAA

  Federal penalty: $200,000 · State/local: $200,000 · SEP: $475,000

Timeline (6 milestones)

• 2004-09-17Referred To Dept Of Justice
• 2004-09-23Enforcement Action Data Entered
• 2007-09-28Complaint Filed With Court
• 2007-12-20Final Order Entered
• 2007-12-20Final Order Lodged
• 2007-12-20Concluded