EPA v. MOBIL OIL CO - JOLIET REFINERY

Case summary

PARTICULATE MATTER, OPACITY AND CO EMISSIONS, LIMIT VIOLATIONS. REGION V FILED THE ADMINISTRATIVE COMPLAINT IN THIS MATTER ON OCTOBER 25, 1995. THE COMPLAINT ALLEGED THAT THE REFINERY'S EMISSIONS FROM THE FLUIDIZED CATALYTIC CRACKING UNIT (FCCU) AND CO BOILERS EXCEEDED THE 30 PERCENT OPACITY LIMIT SET FORTH AT 35 ILL. ADMIN. CODE SEC. 212.123(B) ON 9 DAYS DURING OCTOBER, NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER 1994; THAT STACK TESTING INDICATED THAT IN ONE OF THREE TEST RUNS PERFORMED, MOBIL EXCEEDED THE ALLOWABLE EMISSION RATE CALCULATED BY THE METHOD SET FORTH IN 36 ILL. ADMIN. CODE SEC. 212.381; THAT STACK TESTING INDICATED THAT MOBIL EXCEEDED THE ALLOWABLE 200 PPM EMISSION CONCENTRATION SET FORTH IN 35 ILL. ADMIN. CODE SEC. 216.361; AND THAT MOBIL FAILED TO COMPLY WITH AN EPA SECTION 114 INFORMATION REQUEST BY FAILING TO CONDUCT THE DECEMBER 1994 EMISSIONS TESTING UNDER NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS, NAMELY BY NOT PERFORMING SOOT BLOWING DURING ALL TEST RUNS. THE COMPLAINT PROPOSED THAT MOBIL BE ASSESSED A CIVIL PENALTY OF $146,000. AFTER RECEIPT OF THE COMPLAINT, MOBIL CERTIFIED THAT IT CONDUCTED THE STACK TEST IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS UNDERSTANDING OF THE SECTION 114 INFORMATION REQUEST AND ENSUING COMMUNICATIONS WITH EPA REPRESENTATIVES. ACCORDINGLY, AS PART OF THIS SETTLEMENT, EPA AGREED TO NOT ASSESS ANY CIVIL PENALTY AMOUNT FOR THE ALLEGATIONS IN OF COUNT V OF THE COMPLAINT RELATING TO THE STACK TESTING PROCEDURE VIOLATIONS.

Defendants (1)

• MOBIL OIL CO.Named in complaintNamed in settlement

Facilities (1)

• EXXONMOBIL OIL JOLIET REFINERY

  25915 SOUTH EAST FRONTAGE ROAD, CHANNAHON, IL, 60410

  Registry ID: 110000595339

Statutes cited

• CAA 113 — Clean Air Act

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• MOBIL OIL CO - JOLIET REFINERYentered 1997-02-25

  Primary law: CAA

  Federal penalty: $125,000

Timeline (4 milestones)

• 1995-10-25Complaint Filed/Proposed Order
• 1996-06-06Enforcement Action Data Entered
• 1997-02-25Final Order Issued
• 1998-02-25Enforcement Action Closed