Compliance and Enforcement Quick Finder

Region 6 Annual Results Highlights

National Annual
Results 2006

The mission of CAED is to promote compliance with Federal environmmental regulations in partnership with our States and Tribes. Our vision is to make environmental compliance commonplace and to establish a culture that promotes going beyond compliance through collaboration, innovation and partnership.

Below are highlights of enforcement activities listed under the States in which the actions or violations occurred, including SEPs* and Tribes. * Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs) are environmentally beneficial projects, related to the violation(s), performed by violators of the federal environmental regulations. SEPs further EPA's goal of protecting and enhancing the public health and the environment. This year in Region 6, 39 violators commited to perform 48 projects totalling $10,043,178.
Arkansas In collaboration with the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), EPA explored innovative ways to address asbestos removal. The “Alternative Asbestos Control Method”, an innovative demolition process for handling dilapidated, abandoned buildings in bad condition that have asbestos-containing materials used in their construction, was used on a WW II era building at the Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority in April/May 2006. The US EPA partnered with the ADEQ to discover if the Method could be at least as protective, and more cost-effective, than the standard NESHAP demolition process. The Agency is currently in the process of examining and evaluating the results from the demonstration project and anticipates the preliminary results will be available for peer review and public comment sometime after the first of the year. If successful, the Fort Chafee project would be used as a model to speed up the demolition of many abandoned buildings around the nation. Newly Wed Foods, as part of a National settlement, will reduce the release of ozone-depleting refrigerants into the atmosphere by stopping the use of ozone-depleting refrigerants that destroy stratospheric or "good" ozone. Newly Weds will retrofit or retire all of its 39 industrial refrigeration equipment systems in the United States, including the one in Springdale, AR, with systems that use only non-ozone-depleting refrigerants. The Region 6 portion of the settlement includes a $15.6 thousand penalty, and the facility will spend over $51 thousand on equipment, which will reduce ozone depleting substances by 884 pounds per year.
Louisiana The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) and EPA partnership rose to new levels as we worked side by side in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Of special note, the combined effort of Region 6 and LDEQ was to bring New Orleans’ sewage treatment plant back online. Region 6 had technical staff stationed at the waste-water treatment plant for three months to assist the city in bringing the plant back into operation. Jointly with LDEQ and the Sewage and Water Board of New Orleans, we have been working to address sewage contamination systems problems as a result of the storms. The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and EPA entered into a joint national Clean Air Act settlement with Valero. Nationally, actions under this agreement are expected to reduce air pollution by more than 20,500 tons per year, including reductions for the facilities located in Krotz Springs, La, and St. Charles Parish, La. At Region 6 facilities, Valero will also spend over $456 million to make corrections; $200 thousand on a Supplemental Environmental Project in Krotz, La, and $175 thousand of the penalty will go to the State of Louisiana.
New Mexico Region 6 partnered with the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) to address air toxics at oil and natural gas production facilities. EPA and NMED are working together to identify, assess, and reduce emissions from these facilities. The New Mexico Environmental Department (NMED) and EPA Region 6 worked together to develop a strategy to address confined animal feeding operations that contribute to nitrate levels in the lower Rio Grande River watershed. EPA issued administrative orders to the 14 dairies along the Lower Rio Grande to address surface water contamination problems, and NMED issued orders to address ground water contamination. These efforts have resulted in the dairies joining together in a unified effort to solve environmental problems.
Oklahoma The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality and EPA entered into joint national Clean Air Act settlements with Valero and Sunoco. These settlements are expected to reduce harmful air emissions by more than 44,000 tons per year from 18 refineries in eight states, including the Valero facility in Ardmore, OK, and Sunoco facility in Tulsa. Valero agreed to pay a total penalty of $5.5 million, including $75 thousand to go directly to the State of Oklahoma. The Sunoco settlement included a total penalty of $3 million, with $50 thousand to go to Oklahoma. Region 6 coordinated with the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality in conducting a number of joint inspections at oil and natural gas production facilities to reduce air toxic emissions. One specific action at a facility resulted in a reduction of 1.3 tons per year of volatile organic compounds.
Texas The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and EPA Region 6 successfully developed a partnership strategy in the Bosque watershed to address drinking water quality issues for the City of Waco. This partnership allows for joint inspections, sharing of information, and shared technical assistance and has since been expanded statewide. In coordination with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, EPA reached an agreement with the City of Dallas in which the City will spend approximately $3.5 million in a comprehensive effort to decrease the amount of pollution entering the city's storm water system by over 127 thousand pounds. This includes the construction of two water purifying wetlands —one along the Trinity River, and one along Cedar Creek near the Dallas Zoo. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality joined EPA in a joint national Clean Air Act settlement with Valero. Nationally, actions under this agreement are expected to reduce annual air emissions by more than 20,500 tons per year, including reductions for the facilities located in Corpus Christi (East), Corpus Christi (West), Houston, Sunray, Texas City, and Three Rivers, Texas. Valero will also spend over $456 million to make corrections to Region 6 facilities, $2.8 million on a Supplemental Environmental Projects throughout Texas, and $1.2 million of the penalty will go to the State of Texas. Rohm and Haas will spend over $2 million in facility changes that will result in over 480 thousand pounds of pollutant reductions. They also agreed to pay a penalty of $485,000 and will implement a supplemental environmental project in the amount of at least $670,000. The SEP consists of the purchase of at least 300 acres of coastal wetlands and associated upland prairie in the Texas Galveston Bay Watershed. The purchased property is to be protected from development and be preserved in a natural state, and will be a great environmental benefit to the coastal area of the Texas Galveston Bay. As part of a national settlement, Oxy Vinyls will implement a Supplemental Environmental Project to install new stripper trays in columns at the Pasadena, Texas facility at a cost of $964,000. The Pasadena Stripper Tray project is estimated to achieve 39,820 pounds of vinyl chloride emissions reductions per year of a volatile organic compound (VOC) in an ozone non-attainment area. In addition to being a precursor to ozone formation, vinyl chloride is also a known human carcinogen. The company will also conduct follow-up sampling of centrifuge wastewater at its Pasadena facility to ensure that no hazardous waste is entering its surface impoundments. Region 6 coordinated with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in the targeting and conducting of a number of joint inspections to reduce air toxic emissions at oil and natural gas production facilities, resulting in ongoing case development.
R6 States AR * LA * OK * NM * TX
Tribal The Nambe Pueblo has initiated action to address historical violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act and National Primary Drinking Water regulations by taking water samples and addressing deficiencies at the facility. The Pueblo added a chlorination system to two of the wells, repaired the overflow to the storage tank, repaired leaks to pipes and valves, and cleaned and painted the pump houses and equipment. Also, a new operator was hired to assist the current operator and will be trained by the Albuquerque Indian Health Service to receive certification, and to operate and maintain the new arsenic removal unit. Region 6 collaborated with the Laguna Indian Tribe, and the Jicarilla Apace Nation to address air toxic emissions, resulting in targeting and inspections at a number of oil and natural gas production facilities on Indian land.

Below are highlights of enforcement activities listed under the States in which the actions or violations occurred, including SEPs* and Tribes.

* Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs) are environmentally beneficial projects, related to the violation(s), performed by violators of the federal environmental regulations. SEPs further EPA's goal of protecting and enhancing the public health and the environment. This year in Region 6, 39 violators commited to perform 48 projects totalling $10,043,178.

Arkansas

In collaboration with the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), EPA explored innovative ways to address asbestos removal. The “Alternative Asbestos Control Method”, an innovative demolition process for handling dilapidated, abandoned buildings in bad condition that have asbestos-containing materials used in their construction, was used on a WW II era building at the Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority in April/May 2006. The US EPA partnered with the ADEQ to discover if the Method could be at least as protective, and more cost-effective, than the standard NESHAP demolition process. The Agency is currently in the process of examining and evaluating the results from the demonstration project and anticipates the preliminary results will be available for peer review and public comment sometime after the first of the year. If successful, the Fort Chafee project would be used as a model to speed up the demolition of many abandoned buildings around the nation.

Newly Wed Foods, as part of a National settlement, will reduce the release of ozone-depleting refrigerants into the atmosphere by stopping the use of ozone-depleting refrigerants that destroy stratospheric or "good" ozone. Newly Weds will retrofit or retire all of its 39 industrial refrigeration equipment systems in the United States, including the one in Springdale, AR, with systems that use only non-ozone-depleting refrigerants. The Region 6 portion of the settlement includes a $15.6 thousand penalty, and the facility will spend over $51 thousand on equipment, which will reduce ozone depleting substances by 884 pounds per year.

Louisiana

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) and EPA partnership rose to new levels as we worked side by side in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Of special note, the combined effort of Region 6 and LDEQ was to bring New Orleans’ sewage treatment plant back online. Region 6 had technical staff stationed at the waste-water treatment plant for three months to assist the city in bringing the plant back into operation. Jointly with LDEQ and the Sewage and Water Board of New Orleans, we have been working to address sewage contamination systems problems as a result of the storms.

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and EPA entered into a joint national Clean Air Act settlement with Valero. Nationally, actions under this agreement are expected to reduce air pollution by more than 20,500 tons per year, including reductions for the facilities located in Krotz Springs, La, and St. Charles Parish, La. At Region 6 facilities, Valero will also spend over $456 million to make corrections; $200 thousand on a Supplemental Environmental Project in Krotz, La, and $175 thousand of the penalty will go to the State of Louisiana.

New Mexico

Region 6 partnered with the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) to address air toxics at oil and natural gas production facilities. EPA and NMED are working together to identify, assess, and reduce emissions from these facilities.

The New Mexico Environmental Department (NMED) and EPA Region 6 worked together to develop a strategy to address confined animal feeding operations that contribute to nitrate levels in the lower Rio Grande River watershed. EPA issued administrative orders to the 14 dairies along the Lower Rio Grande to address surface water contamination problems, and NMED issued orders to address ground water contamination. These efforts have resulted in the dairies joining together in a unified effort to solve environmental problems.

Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality and EPA entered into joint national Clean Air Act settlements with Valero and Sunoco. These settlements are expected to reduce harmful air emissions by more than 44,000 tons per year from 18 refineries in eight states, including the Valero facility in Ardmore, OK, and Sunoco facility in Tulsa. Valero agreed to pay a total penalty of $5.5 million, including $75 thousand to go directly to the State of Oklahoma. The Sunoco settlement included a total penalty of $3 million, with $50 thousand to go to Oklahoma.

Region 6 coordinated with the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality in conducting a number of joint inspections at oil and natural gas production facilities to reduce air toxic emissions. One specific action at a facility resulted in a reduction of 1.3 tons per year of volatile organic compounds.

Texas

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and EPA Region 6 successfully developed a partnership strategy in the Bosque watershed to address drinking water quality issues for the City of Waco. This partnership allows for joint inspections, sharing of information, and shared technical assistance and has since been expanded statewide.

In coordination with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, EPA reached an agreement with the City of Dallas in which the City will spend approximately $3.5 million in a comprehensive effort to decrease the amount of pollution entering the city's storm water system by over 127 thousand pounds. This includes the construction of two water purifying wetlands —one along the Trinity River, and one along Cedar Creek near the Dallas Zoo.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality joined EPA in a joint national Clean Air Act settlement with Valero. Nationally, actions under this agreement are expected to reduce annual air emissions by more than 20,500 tons per year, including reductions for the facilities located in Corpus Christi (East), Corpus Christi (West), Houston, Sunray, Texas City, and Three Rivers, Texas. Valero will also spend over $456 million to make corrections to Region 6 facilities, $2.8 million on a Supplemental Environmental Projects throughout Texas, and $1.2 million of the penalty will go to the State of Texas.

Rohm and Haas will spend over $2 million in facility changes that will result in over 480 thousand pounds of pollutant reductions. They also agreed to pay a penalty of $485,000 and will implement a supplemental environmental project in the amount of at least $670,000. The SEP consists of the purchase of at least 300 acres of coastal wetlands and associated upland prairie in the Texas Galveston Bay Watershed. The purchased property is to be protected from development and be preserved in a natural state, and will be a great environmental benefit to the coastal area of the Texas Galveston Bay.

As part of a national settlement, Oxy Vinyls will implement a Supplemental Environmental Project to install new stripper trays in columns at the Pasadena, Texas facility at a cost of $964,000. The Pasadena Stripper Tray project is estimated to achieve 39,820 pounds of vinyl chloride emissions reductions per year of a volatile organic compound (VOC) in an ozone non-attainment area. In addition to being a precursor to ozone formation, vinyl chloride is also a known human carcinogen. The company will also conduct follow-up sampling of centrifuge wastewater at its Pasadena facility to ensure that no hazardous waste is entering its surface impoundments.

Region 6 coordinated with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in the targeting and conducting of a number of joint inspections to reduce air toxic emissions at oil and natural gas production facilities, resulting in ongoing case development.

R6 States

AR * LA * OK * NM * TX

Tribal

The Nambe Pueblo has initiated action to address historical violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act and National Primary Drinking Water regulations by taking water samples and addressing deficiencies at the facility. The Pueblo added a chlorination system to two of the wells, repaired the overflow to the storage tank, repaired leaks to pipes and valves, and cleaned and painted the pump houses and equipment. Also, a new operator was hired to assist the current operator and will be trained by the Albuquerque Indian Health Service to receive certification, and to operate and maintain the new arsenic removal unit.

Region 6 collaborated with the Laguna Indian Tribe, and the Jicarilla Apace Nation to address air toxic emissions, resulting in targeting and inspections at a number of oil and natural gas production facilities on Indian land.

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