The Environmental Protection Agency has accused the Phillips Petroleum Co. refinery in Woods Cross of violating pollution standards and regulations at least 1,000 times since 1994.
In a complaint filed this week in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City, the EPA said Phillips repeatedly exceeded federal limits for the emission of sulfur dioxide and failed to properly operate emissions monitors.Carol Rushin, enforcement officer for the EPA's Denver office, said in a statement accompanying the complaint that sulfur dioxide and the tiny dust particles in it are harmful to people's health, "especially children, the elderly and those with breathing problems."
The allegations against Phillips are not new; the EPA served the refinery with notices of violation in March and again in August. Federal law allows the EPA to file a formal complaint after 30 days following such notification.
Phillips issued a press release denying all of the allegations. It said the state has already determined that its emissions are well below permitted levels and that the EPA complaint raises the question of who is entitled to interpret state permits.
According to the complaint, the emissions of PM-10 air pollution from the Woods Cross refinery "have significant effects on the air quality in nearby Salt Lake County." PM-10 levels in the county "often exceed" those permitted by law, the complaint said.
In converting crude oil into fuels, refineries generate large amounts of gas containing hydrogen sulfide. Historically, the refineries disposed of this waste byproduct by burning it in an open flare, but that in turn emitted sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere.
To meet pollution standards, Phillips was required to install and operate a sulfur recovery unit in 1992. At the same time, the state established emission limits, which were revised in 1995.
The EPA said in its complaint that "by its own emission reports filed with the state," Phillips exceeded the limits "on more than 1,000 occasions since September 1994."
Also, the company's emissions monitor was "out of service" on numerous occasions each year since 1994, the complaint added.
The EPA is seeking an injunction against further violations and fines of up to $27,500 per day for each day that Phillips violated emissions and monitoring rules.