EPA v. MOBIL CHEMICAL COMPANY

Case summary

09/03/91: NOT AVAIL. 10/07/91: IN DECEMBER OF 1989, EPA REGION 6 PROPOSED A TOXICS RELEASE REDUCTION PROJECT (TRRP) IN RESPONSE TO A REQUEST FROM F. HENRY HABICHT, EPA'S DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR, FOR A MULTI-MEDIA APPROACH TO EVALUATE SPECIFIC INDUSTRIAL SITES WITHIN REGION 6. AS PART OF THIS PROJECT, FIVE TEXAS FACILITYES WERE IDENTIFIED BY THE AGENCY'S AIR TOXIC EXPOSURE AND RISK INFORMATION SYSTEM (ATERIS) DATABASE AS HAVING A 1 IN A 100 OR GREATER RELATIVE RISK ASSOCIATED WITH EXPOSURE TO CHEMICALS RELEASED INTO THE AIR FROM THE FACILITY. MOBIL CHEMICAL COMPANY'S OLEFINS/AROMATICS PLANT IN BEAUMONT, TEXAS WAS ONE OF THE FIVE TEXAS FACILITIES IDENTIFIED BY THE ATERIS DATABASE AS HAVING THIS RISK POTENTIAL. THE TRRP INCLUDED A REVIEW OF CHEMICALS RELEASED TO ALL MEDIA TO DETERMINE IF ANY OTHER SITUATIONS EXISTED THAT WOULD SUGGEST THE NEED FOR REDUCTIONS OF CHEMICALS BESIDES THOSE IDENTIFIED BY THE ATERIS DATABASE. MULTI-MEDIA RISK SCREENING EXERCISES WERE CONDUCTED ON EACH OF THE FIVE SELECTED TEXAS FACILITIES IN ORDER TO IDENTIFY POLLUTANTS OF CONCERN. REGION 6 THEN CONTACTED REPRESEN- TATIVES FROM EACH OF THE FIVE FACILITIES AND REQUESTED THE SUBMITTAL OF TOXIC REDUCTION PLANS AIMED AT REDUCING EMISSIONS OF SPECIFIC HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS OF CONCERN. AS PART OF REGION 6'S EVALUATION OF THE REDUCTION PLANS SUB- MITTED BY MOBIL CHEMICAL COMPANY, INSPECTIONS WERE CON- DUCTED AT MOBIL'S BEAUMONT OLEFINS/AROMATICS PLANT DURING DECEMBER 1990 AND JANUARY 1991. REVIEW OF THE INFORMATION OBTAINED AS A RESULT OF THOSE INSPECTIONS AS WELL AS RESPONSES TO FOLLOW-UP INFORMATION REQUESTS REVEALED VIOLATIONS OF SEVERAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS ADMINISTERED BY EPA, INCLUDING THE RCRA, THE CAA, AND THE CWA. ALTHOUGH THE UNDERLYING PURPOSE OF THE TRRP IS TO ACHIEVE REDUCTIONS OF HAZARDOUS POLLUTANTS AT THE SELECTED FACILITIES, THE REGION MUST ALSO ADDRESS AND RESOLVE THE COMPLIANCE PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED DURING ITS INSPECTIONS OF THESE FACILITIES. IN HOPES OF RESOLVING THESE VIOLATIONS IN A CONSENT DECREE PRIOR TO THE FILING OF A CIVIL COMPLAINT IN FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT, THE REGION IS SEEKING THE APPROVAL TO CONDUCT PRE-REFERRAL SETTLEMENT NEGOTIATIONS PURSUANT TO THE PROCESS FOR CONDUCTING PRE-REFERRAL SETTLEMENT NEGOTIATIONS ON CIVIL JUDICIAL ENFORCEMENT CASES, DATED APRIL 13, 1988. REGION 6 SEEKS CIVIL PENALTIES AND SPECIFIC INJUNCTIVE RELIEF TO CORRECT THE VIOLATIONS. EPA IS REQUESTING THAT MOBIL PROPERLY DISPOSE OF ALL D008 WASTE WHICH WAS DISPOSED OF IN THE UNPERMITTED WASTE PILE.

Defendants (1)

• MOBIL CHEMICAL COMPANYNamed in complaintNamed in settlement

Facilities (1)

• MOBIL CHEMICAL COMPANY BCSP

  2775 GULF STATES RD., BEAUMONT, TX, 77704

  Registry ID: 110067042006

Statutes cited

• RCRA 3002 — Standards Applicable to Generators of Hazardous Waste
• CWA 301 — NPDES Discharge without a Permit
• CAA 112 — Hazardous Air Pollutants
• RCRA 3004 — Hazardous Waste Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Standards
• RCRA 3005 — Permits for Treatment, Storage, or Disposal of Hazardous Waste

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• MOBIL CHEMICAL COMPANYentered 1995-11-22

  Primary law: RCRA

  Federal penalty: $250,000

Timeline (8 milestones)

• 1991-07-14Enforcement Action Data Entered
• 1991-09-27PRN Sent
• 1995-05-09Referred To Dept Of Justice
• 1995-09-28Complaint Filed With Court
• 1995-11-22Final Order Lodged
• 1995-11-22Final Order Entered
• 1995-11-22Concluded
• 1995-12-22Enforcement Action Closed