EPA v. Shell Norco

Case summary

This settlement resolves allegations that Shell Chemical LP (Shell) violated the Clean Air Act and State law by failing to properly operate industrial flares at a chemical plant located in the Norco, Louisiana. The settlement involves the reduction of air pollution from four industrial flares at the Norco facility. A flare is a mechanical device, ordinarily with a flame elevated high off the ground, used to combust waste gases that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere during certain industrial processes. Shell?s Norco facility is located approximately 20 miles northeast of New Orleans. The facility manufactures ethylene, propylene, and butadiene to sell to other manufacturers for use in the production of antifreeze, tires, plastic food containers, trash bags, laundry detergent, cosmetics, adhesives, coatings, and hundreds of other consumer and industrial materials and products. The facility operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year. The consent decree requires Shell Chemical to take the following actions: Submit and implement detailed plans for reducing the amount of waste gas that will be sent to flares, undertake a root cause analysis and implement corrective action for ?reportable flaring incidents?, operate an existing flare gas recovery system at the facility, install and operate flare monitoring and control equipment in order to assure high combustion efficiency at all flares subject to the settlement and operate fenceline monitoring stations to detect the presence of benzene from the Norco plant. Monitoring data will be made publicly available on the internet. Health effects of these alleged violations include increased emissions of NOx, VOCs and Benzene. Nitrogen oxides (NOx) can cause ground-level ozone, acid rain, particulate matter, global warming, water quality deterioration, and visual impairment. Nitrogen oxides play a major role, with volatile organic chemicals, in the atmospheric reactions that produce ozone. Volatile Organic Compounds ? Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), along with NOx, play a major role in the atmospheric reactions that produce ozone, which is the primary constituent of smog. People with lung disease, children, older adults, and people who are active can be affected when ozone levels are unhealthy. Ground-level ozone exposure is linked to a variety of short-term health problems, including lung irritation and difficulty breathing, as well as long-term problems, such as permanent lung damage from repeated exposure, aggravated asthma, reduced lung capacity, and increased susceptibility to respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia and bronchitis. Benzene ? Acute (short-term) inhalation exposure of humans to benzene may cause drowsiness, dizziness, headaches, as well as eye, skin, and respiratory tract irritation, and, at high levels, unconsciousness. Chronic (long-term) inhalation exposure has caused various disorders in the blood, including reduced numbers of red blood cells and anemia in occupational settings. Reproductive effects have been reported for women exposed by inhalation to high levels, and adverse effects on the developing fetus have been observed in animal tests. Increased incidences of leukemia have been observed in humans occupationally exposed to benzene. EPA has classified benzene as a Group A human carcinogen. When fully implemented, the new controls and requirements under the consent decree are estimated to reduce VOC emissions by by 159 tons per year (tpy), Hazardous Air Pollutants by 18 tpy and NOx by 2 tpy. As part of the settlement, Shell Chemical will pay a civil penalty of $350,000, of which the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality will receive $87,500. For more information about this settlement, see https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/shell-chemical-lp-norco-louisiana-clean-air-act-settlement

Defendants (1)

• SHELL CHEMICAL LPNamed in complaintNamed in settlement

Facilities (8)

• SHELL CHEMICAL L.P. - NORCO CHEMICAL PLANT EAST SITE

  15536 RIVER ROAD, NORCO, LA, 70079

  Registry ID: 110013831201

• SHELL CHEMICAL L.P. - NORCO CHEMICAL PLANT EAST SITE

  15536 RIVER ROAD, NORCO, LA, 70079

  Registry ID: 110013831201

• SHELL CHEMICAL L.P. - NORCO CHEMICAL PLANT EAST SITE

  15536 RIVER ROAD, NORCO, LA, 70079

  Registry ID: 110013831201

• SHELL CHEMICAL L.P. - NORCO CHEMICAL PLANT EAST SITE

  15536 RIVER ROAD, NORCO, LA, 70079

  Registry ID: 110013831201

• SHELL CHEMICAL L.P. - NORCO CHEMICAL PLANT EAST SITE

  15536 RIVER ROAD, NORCO, LA, 70079

  Registry ID: 110013831201

• SHELL CHEMICAL L.P. - NORCO CHEMICAL PLANT EAST SITE

  15536 RIVER ROAD, NORCO, LA, 70079

  Registry ID: 110013831201

• SHELL CHEMICAL L.P. - NORCO CHEMICAL PLANT EAST SITE

  15536 RIVER ROAD, NORCO, LA, 70079

  Registry ID: 110013831201

• SHELL CHEMICAL L.P. - NORCO CHEMICAL PLANT EAST SITE

  15536 RIVER ROAD, NORCO, LA, 70079

  Registry ID: 110013831201

Statutes cited

• CAA 112C — Hazardous Air Pollutants
• CAA 112 — Hazardous Air Pollutants
• CAA 112B — Asbestos
• CAA 111 — New Source Performance Standards

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• Shell Norcoentered 2019-02-16

  Primary law: CAA

  Federal penalty: $262,500 · State/local: $87,500

Timeline (5 milestones)

• 2016-04-27Referred To Dept Of Justice
• 2018-02-12Final Order Lodged
• 2018-02-12Complaint Filed With Court
• 2018-10-26Enforcement Action Data Entered
• 2019-02-16Final Order Entered