Air pollution violations at natural gas plants in North Dakota lead to EPA settlement

DENVER — The Environmental Safety Company and Division of Justice introduced settlements for air air pollution violations involving ozone and greenhouse gases that embrace an organization that operates in North Dakota.

The EPA has signed an settlement with MPLX LP addressing noncompliance and strengthening of air-pollution controls at three pure gasoline processing crops and three compressor stations in North Dakota, Wyoming and Utah.

These embrace the Belfield, Robinson Lake and Stanley gasoline crops in North Dakota. MPLX has agreed to take steps to adjust to Clear Air Act efficiency requirements in any respect processing items, together with putting in enhanced monitoring tools at its gasoline crops and compressor stations in North Dakota, based on the EPA.

MPLX additionally has agreed to plug and remediate 4 deserted wells in North Dakota.

The settlement, one in every of three introduced by the EPA, is valued at about $4.5 million. Civil penalties embrace $1.5 million for the U.S. authorities and $325,000 for the state of North Dakota.

The “settlements will considerably cut back dangerous emissions of ozone-forming air pollution and greenhouse gases in Colorado, North Dakota, Wyoming” and Utah, Okay.C. Becker, EPA administrator for the Denver area, stated in an announcement launched this week. “EPA will proceed to carry firms accountable as we ship cleaner air for communities throughout our area.”

New controls and mitigation tasks will cut back ozone-producing air air pollution by an estimated 95 tons per yr and greenhouse gases by an estimated 3,850 tons per yr throughout services in North Dakota, Wyoming and Utah, based on the EPA.

The settlement additionally will considerably cut back emissions of nitrogen oxides, risky natural compounds and greenhouse gases.

Risky natural compounds are a key element of smog or ground-level ozone, a pollutant that irritates lungs, exacerbating illnesses equivalent to bronchial asthma, and might improve susceptibility to respiratory diseases, equivalent to pneumonia and bronchitis.