Sinclair Oil, Environmental Pollution, Wyoming 2024

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Table of Contents

Sinclair Oil Coughs Up $3.8M for Wyoming Refinery Violations

WASHINGTON – Two subsidiaries of Sinclair Oil Corporation have been caught red-handed in a massive air pollution scandal at their refineries in Casper and Sinclair, Wyo. Sinclair Casper Refining Co. and Sinclair Wyoming Refining Co. will pay stipulated penalties totaling $3,844,000 and spend approximately $10.5 million on additional pollution control equipment and other projects to resolve the allegations.

The alleged violations stem from Sinclair’s failure to meet the terms of the 2008 consent decree, including exceeding NOx emissions limits at the Casper and Sinclair refineries and failing to comply with requirements to install, operate and maintain a flare gas recovery system at the Sinclair refinery, resulting in excess emissions of SO2.

“Parties who enter into consent decrees with the United States must adhere to their obligations, and failure to comply will result in further penalties,” said Ignacia S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This settlement requires Sinclair to pay a significant $3,844,000 penalty and provide additional emission reductions beyond those required in the original settlement.”

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the settlement will require the Sinclair companies to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and particulate matter by approximately 24, 385 and 59 tons per year, respectively. The problems will be addressed by installing and operating a selective catalytic reduction system to control NOx emissions and by upgrading the flare gas recovery system to meet SO2 emissions limits.

Additionally, Sinclair will complete a project to provide road paving at its Casper refinery that will reduce particulate matter emissions by an additional 59 tons per year and reduce fuel oil burning at the Casper refinery from the existing 188 tons per year limit to no more than 95 tons per year.

The settlement is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. The settlement documents may be viewed at www.justice.gov/enrd/Consent_Decrees.html.

Additional information on the settlement is available at www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/cases/civil/caa/sinclair.html.