Texas Plant Agrees To Cut Air Pollution

Flint Hills Resources has agreed to spend $44.5 million to install new emissions reductions technology to control air pollution from industrial flares and leaking equipment at its olefins plant in Port Arthur, Texas, as part of a settlement with the Department of Justice and EPA. The settlement also requires Flint Hills to pay a $350,000 penalty for Clean Air Act violations. Once implemented, the controls are expected to reduce emissions of benzene and other hazardous air pollutants by about 1,880 tons per year and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by approximately 69,000 tons per year. The company says it has already completed many of the actions required by the agreement, including improving the performance of its flares, enhancing its leak detection and repair program, and installing a flare gas recovery system.