November 16, 2023
By:
Walter G. Wright
Category:
Arkansas Environmental, Energy, and Water Law
Arkansas Environmental, Energy, and Water Law
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The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (“LDEQ”) and Westlake Styrene, LLC (“Westlake”) entered into an October 18th Settlement Agreement (“SA”) addressing alleged violations of an air permit. See SA-AE-23-0032.
Westlake is stated to operate a styrene manufacturing facility and marine terminal (“Facility”) located in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana.
The Facility is stated to operate under the authority of certain Title V air permits.
An LDEQ file review undertaken on March 10, 2022, allegedly identified certain violations. These are stated to have included:
- Failure to submit the 2020 Annual Criteria Pollutant Emissions Inventory and Toxics Emissions Data Inventory Certification Statement in a timely manner.
- Failure to submit the 2019 Annual Criteria Pollutant Emissions Inventory and Toxics Emissions Data Inventory Certification Statement in a timely manner.
- Failure to report that the clock on 8-90 Emergency Diesel Firewater Pump was not read.
- Valves and connectors were not included in the Facility’s leak detection and repair database of 6-90.
- Failure to submit the Title V 2016 Annual Compliance Certification and Title V 2016 second Semiannual Monitoring Report in a timely manner.
- Emissions were reported in pounds, but the permit lists emissions in tons for benzene in the emission rate table.
Westlake denies it committed any violations or that it is liable for any fines, forfeitures, and/or penalties.
The SA assesses a civil penalty of $4,500.
A copy of the SA can be downloaded here.
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