EPA v. AMOCO OIL COMPANY

Case summary

THE AMOCO WHITING REFINERY IS ONE OF THE LARGEST REFINERIES IN THENATION. OPERATING 24 HOURS A DAY. PROCESSING UP TO 405,000 BARRELS OFCRUDE OIL PERDAY INTO VARIOUS PETROLEUM PRODUCTS. APPROXIMATELY 1,400ACRES OF LAND ON THE SOUTHERN SHORE OF LAKE MICHIGAN IN NORTHWESTINDIANA. THE WHITING REFINERY HAS BEEN OPERATING SINCE 1890. AMOCO'S PROCESS EQUIPMENT INCLUDES DISTILLATION TOWERS. FLUIDCATALYTIC CRACKERS AND OTHER EQUIPMENT USED TO PRODUCE GASOLINE. AHEAVY OILS PLANT. A COKER, AN ASPHALT PLANT, PRODUCT TREATING ANDBLENDING UNITS. SULFUR RECOVERY UNITS. AND VAPOR RECOVERY UNITS.NUMEROUS SOLID WASTES, AIR EMISSIONS AND WASTEWATER STREAMS AREGENERATED DURING THE PROCESSING OF CRUDE OIL. FIVE EPA RCRAIDENTIFICATION NUMBERS ARE PRESENTLY BEING USED TO IDENTIFY RCRAACTIVITIES. A NUMBER OF STATE -ISSUED AIR PERMITS REGULATE THE EMISSION OF ARANGE OF AIR POLLUTANTS FROM THE REFINERY OVER 80 SOURCES. TWO HUNDREDSTORAGE TANKS AND APPROXIMATELY 47,500 EQUIPMENT COMPONENTS ARE ALSOMONITORED AND REGULATED. THE WHITING REFINERY CONTAINS. AMONG OTHERSOURCES, EMISSION SOURCES WHICH ARE REGULATED BY INDIANA STATEIMPLEMENTATION PLAN (INDIANA SIP). PURSUANT TO SECTION 110 OF THE CAA,AND THE NEW SOURCE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS (NSPS). 40 C.F.R. PART 60,PURSUANT TO SECTION III OF THE CAA. THE EMISSION SOURCES THAT ARE OFINTEREST TO THIS ACTION ARE THE SULFUR RECOVERY UNIT AND THE ASSOCIATEDCONTROL DEVICE; VARIOUS PROCESS HEATERS IN THE REFINERY; AND , VARIOUSVALVES AND COMPONENTS IN VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUND (VOC) SERVICE IN THEREFINERY. AMOCO SUBMITS THE TOXIC CHEMICAL INVENTORY REPORTING FORMS FOR 24CHEMICALS COMPONENTS IN VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUND (VOC) SERVICE IN THEREFINERY. BETWEEN OCTOBER 26, 1992 AND NOVEMBER 19, 1992. US EPA 'S NATIONALENFORCEMENT INVESTIGATIION CENTER (NEIC) CONDUCTED A MULTI-MEDIACOMPLIANCE INSPECTION AT THE AMOCO WHITING REFINERY. DURING THEINSPECTION. NEIC PERSONNEL NOTED VIOLATIONS OF RCRA, CAA AND EPCRA, ANDTHE REGULATIONS PROMULGATED THEREUNDER. THE RCRA VIOLATIONS NOTEDINVOLVED TWO HAZARDOUS WASTE STREAMS GENERATED AT THE REFINERY AREA ANDA WASTE STREAM GENERATED FROM THE LAKEFRONT WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.THE VIOLATIONS ARE BASED ON THE LAND DISPOSAL RESTRICTION REGULATIONS,40 C.F. R. PART 268. AMOCO ALSO VIOLATED PROVISIONS OF THE FACILITY'SFEDERALLY ISSUED RCRA PERMITS. THE CAA VIOLATIONS ARE BASED ON INFORMATION GATHERED DURING THE NEICINSPECTION, AND INFORMATION PROVIDED BY AMOCO IN RESPONSE TO TWOINFORMATION REQUESTS AND IN EXCESS EMISSION REPORTS SUBMITTED TO THEINDIANA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT (IDEM). U.S. EPA REGIONV, ISSUED A FINDING OF VIOLATIONS (FOV) AND A NOTICE OF VIOLATION )NOV)TO AMOCO ON JULY 12, 1994. THE FOV CITED VIOLATIONS OF THE NSPS GENERALPROVISIONS. 40 C.F.R. PART 60, SUBPART A, AND THE STANDARDS OFPERFORMACE FOR PETROLEUM REFINERIES, 40 C.F.R. PART 60 SUBPART J. THENOV CITED VIOLATIONS OF THE INDIANA SIP, VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDRULES. THE EPCRA VIOLATION INVOLVED AMOCO'S FAILURE TO FILE A FORM R. THEREGULATIONS REQUIRE COMPANIES TO SUBMIT A FORM R FOR EACH CHEMICAL USEDOVER A CERTAIN AMOUNT EACH YEAR. THE FORM R IS DUE BY JULY 1, OF THEFOLLOWING YEAR. AS OF THE DATE OF THE NEIC INSPECTION. AMOCO HAD NOTFILED A FORM R FOR AMMONIA FOR 1991. THE AMOCO WHITING REFINERY

Defendants (1)

• AMOCO OIL COMPANYNamed in complaint

Facilities (1)

• WAUCONDA SAND & GRAVEL

  BONNER & GARLAND RD, WAUCONDA, IL, 60084

  Registry ID: 110009327022

Statutes cited

• RCRA 3004 — Hazardous Waste Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Standards
• CAA 111 — New Source Performance Standards
• EPCRA 313 — Toxic Chemical Release Reporting (TRI)
• RCRA 3005A — Res Conserv & Rec Act
• CAA 110 — Implementation Plan for National Primary and Secondary Ambient Air Quality Standards

Timeline (4 milestones)

• 1992-10-26Enforcement Action Data Entered
• 1994-09-29Referred To Dept Of Justice
• 1996-03-29Complaint Filed With Court
• 2007-08-01Enforcement Action Closed