Cutting Hazardous Air Pollutants
Air pollution from an improperly operated flare
Problem
Leaks, flares, and excess emissions from refineries, chemical plants and other industries emit hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), or air toxics, that are known or suspected to cause cancer, birth defects, and seriously impact the environment.
- Leaking equipment is the largest source of HAP emissions from petroleum refineries and chemical manufacturing facilities.
- Recent monitoring shows that facilities typically emit more HAP emissions than they actually report.
- Improper operation of an industrial flare can result in hundreds of tons of excess HAP emissions.
Goal
EPA will target and reduce illegal emissions of toxic air pollutants from leaks and flares, as well as target and reduce excess emissions, at facilities that have a significant impact on air quality and health in communities.
Fast Fact
Enforcement actions in 2010 resulted in reducing lifetime air toxics cancer risk to less than 1 in a million for more than 900,000 people.
Enforcement Cases
- May 31 - Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) Innovative Plastics, LLC Settlement
- May 23 - BP Whiting Settlement
- April 5 - Marathon Petroleum Company, LP and Catlettsburg Refining, LLC Settlement
- March 28 - Coltec Industries Inc. and National Steel and Shipbuilding Company Settlement
- March 23 - Federal Judge Orders Belvan Corporation to Pay $500,000 for Violating Clean Air Act (PDF) (2 pp, 24K About PDF)
- January 11 - Chongqing Longting Power Equipment Co., Ltd., Longting USA, LLC, Loncin (USA) Inc. Settlement
Progress on Enforcement and Compliance Activities
The following maps and charts show EPA's progress in targeting and reducing illegal emissions of toxic air pollutants.
