DEP Announces $469,501 Settlement to Resolve Civil Penalties for United Refining Company Operating Violations

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA 
Dept. of Environmental Protection
Commonwealth News Bureau
Room 308, Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg PA., 17120 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

09/17/2018

CONTACT: 

Melanie Williams, DEP

814-332-6615

DEP Announces $469,501 Settlement to Resolve Civil Penalties for United Refining Company Operating Violations

Meadville, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has agreed to a $469,501 Consent Assessment of Civil Penalty with United Refining Company (URC) for violations of the Air Pollution Control Act and Title V Permit at the URC refinery in the City of Warren, Warren County. 

DEP inspections between September 16, 2014, and December 10, 2015, and continuous emission monitoring data, revealed multiple permit violations at the refinery, including:

• URC failed to inspect and measure primary and secondary seal gaps for several large storage tanks;

• URC failed to repair, empty, or remove from service a large storage tank after a defect had been detected;

• URC failed to conduct particulate testing for several air contamination sources; and

• URC exceeded emissions limits for sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and hydrogen sulfide on several occasions for multiple sources from 2010 through 2016.

“DEP is committed to enforcing the conditions of the permits we issue, and keeping Pennsylvania’s air free of excess pollution,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. 

DEP issued Notices of Violation for these permit violations. The violations were corrected by URC prior to the Consent Assessment of Civil Penalty and no further action related to these violations is required by URC.