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Citgo Faces Fines for Refinery Pollution

April 5, 2001

Citgo Petroleum Co. said it\r\nfaces "significant penalties" and upgrade costs for alleged air\r\npollution violations at three of its refineries.

EHS Today Staff

Citgo Petroleum Co., a leading U.S. gasoline refiner, said it faces "significant penalties" and upgrade costs for alleged air pollution violations at three of its refineries.

In January, EPA cited the company for violations of the Clean Air Act at its refineries in Lake Charles, La., Corpus Christi, Texas, and Lemont, Ill.

EPA said the Lemont and Lake Charles refineries violated permitting rules for the installation and modification of refining equipment, and said the Corpus Christi plant did not meet leak detection and repair requirements.

"If Citgo were to be found to have violated the provisions, it could be subject to possible significant penalties and capital expenditures," the company said in its quarterly filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Citgo said it has responded to the notice of violations and awaits a meeting with EPA.

In addition, Citgo said it is contesting previous allegations by EPA that it is among the polluters of the Calcasieu Estuary, located near the Lake Charles refinery.

by Virginia Sutcliffe

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeek, EHS Today, Material Handling & Logistics, Logistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor: Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.