EPA v. ORION ENGINEERED CARBONS/EVONIK DEGUSSA (NC)

Case summary

EPA entered into a CD with Orion Engineered Carbons, LLC (Orion), a carbon black manufacturer with four plants located in Ohio, Texas (2 plants), and Louisiana. This CD will resolve Region 5's long-standing, New Source Review (NSR) violations at Orion's Belpre, Ohio plant. This CD requires Orion to install SCRs at all four of their carbon black plants to reduce NOx emissions, install scrubbers at two of their four plants to remove SO2 emissions, accept unit-specific SO2, NOx, and PM emission limits commiserate with the installed controls, limit use of their flare systems, install a PM early warning system at all of their plants, and pay a penalty of $800,000. The CD requires that Orion install one of the two scrubbers at either the Ohio or Texas plant, at Orion's election. Lastly, the CD requires that Orion spend $550,000 on environmental mitigation projects at all four plants, including spending at least $150,000 at the Belpre, Ohio plant to replace existing reactor vent scrubbers with high efficiency venturi scrubbers on reactor vents for Units 2, 3, and 4. EPA estimates that this settlement (including reductions at all four plants) will result in a between 9,351 to 10,927 tons per year (tpy) reduction in SO2 emissions (depends on whether the Ohio or Texas facility receives the scrubber) and 1,663 tpy of NOx emissions.

Defendants (1)

• ORION ENGINEERED CARBONS/EVONIK DEGUSSANamed in complaintNamed in settlement

Facilities (1)

• ORION ENGINEERED CARBONS LLC

  11135 STATE ROUTE 7, BELPRE, OH, 457149496

  Registry ID: 110032895357

Statutes cited

• CAA 502 — Operating Permits (Title V)
• CAA PARTD — New Source Review Permit Requirements
• CAA 165 — Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD)

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• ORION ENGINEERED CARBONS/EVONIK DEGUSSA (NC)entered 2018-06-08

  Primary law: CAA

  Federal penalty: $266,667

Timeline (5 milestones)

• 2010-09-30Referred To Dept Of Justice
• 2010-10-07Enforcement Action Data Entered
• 2017-12-22Final Order Lodged
• 2017-12-22Complaint Filed With Court
• 2018-06-08Final Order Entered