EPA v. CITGO Lake Charles

Case summary

The settlement resolves a United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enforcement action against CITGO for Clean Air Act (Act) violations involving CITGO’s failure to comply with its mobile source air toxics (MSAT) baseline standard at its Lake Charles refinery and its failure to comply with various sampling, testing, and recordkeeping requirements at its Lemont refinery, as required by the fuels regulations and the Act. CITGO Petroleum Corporation (CITGO) is a refiner and marketer of transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals, and other industrial products. CITGO is owned by PDV America, Inc., an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. CITGO owns and operates refineries in the United States with a combined refining capacity of approximately 750,000 barrels per day. The CITGO refineries subject to this Consent Decree are located in Lemont, Illinois, and Lake Charles, Louisiana. The Consent Decree requires CITGO to take actions to mitigate the harm to human health and the environment caused by the excess emissions resulting from the violations at issue in this case. Specifically, CITGO will: (1) install and maintain a geodesic dome on a gasoline storage tank at its Lemont refinery, and (2) install and maintain carbon adsorption systems on two fuel storage tanks at its Lake Charles refinery. EPA estimates that CITGO’s Lake Charles refinery violations resulted in excess mobile source air toxics emissions (primarily benzene). The sampling, testing, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements of the fuels program provide the foundation for EPA’s compliance program. Refiners that violate these requirements undermine the integrity of the fuels regulations and hinder the Agency’s ability to ensure gasoline complies with fuel quality and performance standards, potentially leading to an increase in harmful air pollution. CITGO will pay a $737,000 civil penalty. For more information concerning this settlement, see http://www2.epa.gov/enforcement/citgo-petroleum-corporation-clean-air-act-settlement

Defendants (1)

• CITGO Petroleum CorporationNamed in complaintNamed in settlement

Facilities (6)

• CITGO PETROLEUM CORPORATION

  4401 HWY. 108, LAKE CHARLES, LA, 70601

  Registry ID: 110000597248

• CITGO PETROLEUM CORPORATION

  4401 HWY. 108, LAKE CHARLES, LA, 70601

  Registry ID: 110000597248

• CITGO PETROLEUM CORPORATION

  4401 HWY. 108, LAKE CHARLES, LA, 70601

  Registry ID: 110000597248

• CITGO PETROLEUM CORPORATION

  4401 HWY. 108, LAKE CHARLES, LA, 70601

  Registry ID: 110000597248

• CITGO PETROLEUM CORPORATION

  4401 HWY. 108, LAKE CHARLES, LA, 70601

  Registry ID: 110000597248

• CITGO PETROLEUM CORPORATION

  4401 HWY. 108, LAKE CHARLES, LA, 70601

  Registry ID: 110000597248

Statutes cited

• CAA 211 — Regulation of Fuels - Motor Vehicle and Engine Fuels

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• CITGO Lake Charlesentered 2013-11-19

  Primary law: CAA

  Federal penalty: $737,000

Timeline (6 milestones)

• 2009-07-24Enforcement Action Data Entered
• 2010-09-30Referred To Dept Of Justice
• 2013-09-19Complaint Filed With Court
• 2013-09-19Final Order Lodged
• 2013-11-19Final Order Entered
• 2020-08-17Enforcement Action Closed