The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced a settlement with Chevron. The company has agreed to pay a $384,000 penalty for alleged violations of the Clean Air Act at its refinery in Salt Lake City.
The Clean Air Act violations were discovered through an inspection by the EPA and the State of Utah. They found that Chevron made changes to the refinery’s Fluid Catalytic Cracker Unit, resulting in excess emissions of nitrogen oxides. Nitrogen oxide contributes to ground-level ozone, acid rain, and destruction of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. It can also irritate the lungs and lower resistance to respiratory illnesses for those exposed.
The settlement requires Chevron to overhaul and install pollution controls on three engines at the refinery. The controls are expected to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by an estimated 50 tons per year. In addition, Chevron will spend $100,000 to support the purchase of four new compressed natural gas school buses for the Jordan School District in Salt Lake County.
