EPA v. COASTAL STATES PETRO

Case summary

COASTAL STATES PETROLEUM COMPANY OPERATES AN OIL REFINERY IN CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS, WHICH IS THE SUBJECT FACILITY UN- DER NPDES PERMIT NO. TX0006904. THE FINAL EFFLUENT LIMITA- TIONS UNDER THIS PERMIT WENT INTO EFFECT ON JUNE 1, 1974 AND ESTABLISH MAXIMUM POUND PER DAY VALUES FOR BOD, COD, TSS, AMMONIA, PHENOLS, AND OIL AND GREASE. THIS FACILITY HAS EXPERIENCED NUMEROUS VIOLATIONS AND HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF ADMINISTRATIVE ORDERS ON TWO PREVIOUS OCCASIONS, MAY 16, 1975 AND JUNE 17, 1976. THIS REFERRAL ADDRESSES OPERATIONAL AND MAINTENANCE PROBLEMS THAT HAVE RESULTED IN VIOLATIONS OF THE EFFLUENT LIMITATIONS SINCE THE ISSUANCE OF THE LAST ORDER. IN MANY INSTANCES THE DEFICIEN- IES CITED IN THE ORDERRS ARE STILL CAUSING VIOLATIONS. THE PRIMARY PROBLEM EXPERIENCED BY THIS PERMITTEE HAS BEEN FREQUENT IN-PLANT LEAKS AND SPILLS OF CHEMICALS INTO THE FACILITY'S WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEM. FROM APRIL, 1976 THROUGH JANUARY, 1981, THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS INCIDENTS OF NON-COMPLIANCE REPORTED TO EPA, SOME OF WHICH EXTENDED OVER SEVERAL DAYS. IN MANY OF THESE INCIDENTS THE MATERIAL DIS- CHARGED WAS DIETHANOLAMINE (DEA) WHICH IS USED IN THE REFIN- ERY TO REMOVE HYDROGEN SULFIDE FROM GAS STREAMS. DEA IS WAT- ER SOLUBLE AND THEREFORE NOT REMOVED FROM THE WASTEWATER BY THE COMPANY'S OIL-WATER SEPARATOR OR THE DISSOLVED AIR FLOTA TION UNIT. WHEN THIS MATERIAL REACHES THE BIOLOGICAL TREAT- MENT UNIT, THE DEA CAUSES A DYSFUNCTION OF THE BIOMASS, RESULTING IN THE FAILURE OF THIS UNIT TO ADEQUATELY TREAT THE WASTEWATER. SIMILAR, ALTHOUGH LESS FREQUENT, EFFECTS ARE REALIZED FROM REPORTED DISCHARGES OF SULFOLANE AND THE INTRODUCTION OF AN UNIDENTIFIED BIOCIDE INTO THE SYSTEM.

Defendants (1)

• COASTAL STATES PETRONamed in complaintNamed in settlement

Facilities (1)

• CORPUS CHRISTI EAST

  1300 CANTWELL LANE, CORPUS CHRISTI, TX, 78408

  Registry ID: 110000501993

Statutes cited

• CWA 309 — Violation of Existing AO

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• COASTAL STATES PETROL COentered 1983-06-15

  Primary law: CWA

  Federal penalty: $20,000

Timeline (8 milestones)

• 1981-04-03Referred To Headquarters
• 1981-04-16Referred To Dept Of Justice
• 1981-06-15Referred TO U.S. Attorney
• 1981-07-31Complaint Filed With Court
• 1983-06-15Final Order Lodged
• 1983-06-15Final Order Entered
• 1983-06-15Concluded
• 1983-06-15Enforcement Action Closed