A Redwood City-based refinery will have to pay $127,192 in civil penalties for violations involving its petroleum, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday.
The U.S. agency said the payment is part of a settlement between the federal government and Seaport Refining and Environmental, LLC, which receives and processes various waste fuels, including gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. The Redwood City refinery was in violation of both the Clean Water Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
Seaport Refining was found to have produced approximately 2,200 pounds of hazardous waste per month, as a result of improper handling of hazardous substances, according to EPA.
EPA also said that the settlement is part of its own national initiative that aims to reduce the amount of hazardous air emissions that hazardous waste facilities produce.
“It is paramount that oil processing facilities, including refineries like the Seaport Refining facility in Redwood City, properly handle hazardous substances,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “When companies do not effectively manage a dangerous substance, in accordance with the law, the local community and workers are endangered. EPA will not hesitate to levy significant penalties.”
In addition, the government agency said that the settlement also addresses Seaport Refining's violation of the Clean Water Act’s Oil Pollution Prevention Regulations. These regulations are in place to prevent oil from reaching both navigable waters and any adjoining shorelines.
On top of paying civil penalties, Seaport Refining will also have to implement compliance tasks. These tasks include developing an air emission monitoring plan, reporting quarterly air emission monitoring results, as well as inspecting and repairing the facility's tanks.
