Database of Oil Refinery Air Permitting Actions
Updated information - including deadlines, document links, and agency contacts - regarding the permitting of all U.S. oil refineries under Title V and the New Source Review (NSR) provisions of the Clean Air Act.
Apr 25, 2008
Press Release: Pennsylvania Citizens, the Sierra Club, and the Environmental Integrity Project Act to Halt Controversial Beech Hollow Waste Coal Plant
Mar 5, 2008
Pennsylvania Citizens, the Sierra Club, and the Environmental Integrity Project gave notice to the Robinson Power Company (RPC) of their intent to sue in regards to the controversy-plagued Beech Hollow power plant in Washington County, Pennsylvania.
The Environmental Integrity Project and the Sierra Club are among those seeking to halt construction of the new waste coal plant until plans for the plant are altered to meet state and federal pollution requirements. RPC and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) improperly rushed the plant through the original permitting process, skipping several key steps intended to protect public health.
The proposed 250 megawatt coal plant would burn waste coal, creating enormous amounts of highly toxic waste ash containing dangerous concentrations of mercury and other harmful pollutants.
Request for Reconsideration submitted to Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) regarding emissions increases at the Flint Hills Refinery in Corpus Christi, Texas.
On behalf of Citizens for Environmental Justice (CFEJ) and the Refinery Reform Campaign (RRC), EIP submitted a Request for Reconsideration to TCEQ regarding increased emissions at the Flint Hills "West Refinery" in Corpus Christi, asking TCEQ to reconsider its Responses to Comments (RTC) regarding monitoring technology (emission factors versus LIDAR), the leak detection and repair (LDAR) program, and consideration of environmental justice (EJ) issues.
Feb 15, 2008
Environmental Integrity Project Urges EPA to Perform Adequate Risk Assessment and Strengthen the "MACT" Standards for Emissions of Hazardous Air Pollutants from Oil Refineries.
EPA's finding of "no residual risk" from hazardous air pollutant ("HAP") emissions from oil refineries, and consequent "do nothing" proposal not to substantively update the maximum achievable control technology ("MACT") standards applicable to refinery HAPs, relies on industry-reported emissions estimates which are so understated as to be practically useless, and does not reflect current levels of technology already in use, as required by the Clean Air Act.
Dec 28, 2007
Environmental Integrity Project Releases Citizen Guide to Participation in Oil Refinery Permitting
A Handbook for Citizen Participation in the Permitting of Oil Refineries under the New Source Review Provisions of the Clean Air Act.
Dec 10, 2007
EIP submits comments to the National Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production detailing improvements needed in Clean Water Act permits for factory farms
Oct 3, 2007
Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, the Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club and EIP Urge U.S. EPA to Withdraw Iowa's Authority to Issue Clean Water Act Permits to CAFOs
Sep 20, 2007
Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, the Iowa chapter of the Sierra Club, and the Environmental Integrity Project filed a new legal petition urging that the U.S. EPA strip the Iowa Department of Natural Resources of its authority to issue factory farm operating permits due to the state agencys lax oversight in the face of widespread concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) violations of the federal Clean Water Act.
Despite repeated attempts by EPA and citizen groups to spur IDNR to action, IDNR has resisted making any meaningful progress to bring the growing number of Iowa factory farms into compliance with the federal Clean Water Act. The Clean Water Act allows citizens to petition EPA to withdraw the power of a state to issue Clean Water Act permits.
The EIP, the American Bottom Conservancy, and the Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club oppose a draft Clean Air Act permit that allows ConocoPhillips refinery in Roxana, Illinois to expand and process dirty Canadian tar sand crude.
EIP, the American Bottom Conservancy, and the Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club submitted comments to the Illinois EPA opposing the issuance of a Clean Air Act permit to allow ConocoPhillips to expand its Roxana, Illinois facility until Illinois EPA require the best control technologies and fully study the impacts from the refinery, including impacts on global warming.
Jun 27, 2007
Letter to EPA Regarding Possible Lack of Reporting of Formaldehyde Air Emissions from Oil Refineries
Apr 3, 2007
Petition to Veto Federal Operating Permit Issued to Premcor Refinery
EIP Petitions the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to object to a permit issued under Title V of the Clean Air Act for operation of the Premcor Oil Refinery in Port Arthur, Texas
Apr 3, 2007
Petition to Veto Federal Operating Permit Issued to CITGO Refinery
EIP Petitions the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to object to a permit issued under Title V of the Clean Air Act for operation of the CITGO Oil Refinery in Corpus Christi, Texas
Apr 3, 2007
EIP Opposes Weak Clean Water Act Permit for Confinement Operation in Iowa
EIP submits comments to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources asking it to strengthen its proposed NPDES permit for the Dave Peterson Swine facility in Iowa.
Jan 8, 2007
The first NPDES permit for a confinement operation represents an opportunity for IDNR to prevent further degradation of Iowa's waterways at a time when the state ranks among the nation's highest in fecal bacteria, nitrogen and phosphorus pollution. To achieve this goal, EIP offers a number of recommendations for how to improve the proposed permit and its supporting documents so they comply with the Clean Water Act.
EIP Opposes Seaboard Consent Decree, because it absolves Seaboard of legal liability for violations of the Clean Air Act in exchange for participation in EPA's Air Compliance Agreement.
EIP, on behalf of eight organizations, submits comments opposing the Consent Decree between EPA and Seaboard Farms.
Oct 31, 2006
The Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) submits these comments on the proposed Consent Decree between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Seaboard Food LP (Seaboard) on behalf of eight undersigned organizations. In its Decree, EPA proposes to withdraw the air monitoring order that it issued to Seaboard in 2002 and absolve Seaboard of legal liability for violations of the Clean Air Act in exchange for participation in EPA's Air Compliance Agreement (ACO). Under the ACO, Seaboard may not ever test its air emissions, nor is the company required to comply with the Clean Air Act (CAA). Accordingly, the groups oppose this decree, because it is bad public policy to put a polluter's interests ahead of citizens' health and to allow companies to benefit from noncompliance.
Presentation: EPA and State Failures to Regulate CAFOs Under Federal Environmental Laws; Outline of Remarks Prepared for the National Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production Meeting on September 11, 2006
Oct 25, 2006
This presentation outlines EPA and state failures to regulate CAFOs under our federal environmental laws.
Comments: EIP Comments on EPA's Proposed Clean Water Rules for CAFOs
Oct 25, 2006
The Environmental Integrity Project, Inc. (EIP), Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (ICCI) and the Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club submits comments to EPA on its Clean Water Act rule for CAFOs asking the Agency to (1) establish a regulatory presumption that Large CAFOs actually discharge and designate certain categories of CAFOs to be proposed dischargers; (2) require a CAFO to be in compliance with a nutrient management plan (NMP) that is incorporated into a federal National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit before it can qualify for the agricultural stormwater exemption; (3) eliminate the general permit process for CAFOs so that NMPs are incorporated into individual permits after public review and opportunity for a hearing; (4) require that all elements of an NMP be incorporated into an NPDES permit; (5) clarify that water quality based effluent limitations apply to new sources of swine, veal and poultry operations, and (6) issue a new determination that identifies BCT technologies that achieve greater fecal coliform reductions than achieved by the BPT technologies identified in the 2003 Final Rule.
Presentation: The Use of CERCLA to Address Agricultural Pollution; Albany Law School-NYSBA CLE-Sept. 15, 2006
Oct 25, 2006
This presentation outlines how CERCLA has been used to regulate CAFO pollution and discusses efforts to exempt CAFOs from hazardous waste laws.
Giving Away the Farm: Why US EPA Should Reject the Ohio Department of Agriculture's Bid to Administer the Clean Water Act
New EIP report details problems with ODA's enforcement and permitting of CAFO's and argues against US EPA authorizing ODA to issue and enforce Clean Water Act permits
Oct 24, 2006
Database of Complaints and Enforcement for Livestock Operations in Ohio
New EIP report details problems with ODA's enforcement and permitting of CAFOs and argues against U.S. EPA authorizing ODA to issue and enforce Clean Water Act permits.
Oct 23, 2006
As part of the background research for "Giving Away the Farm", EIP compiled a master database of all known enforcement actions and complaints related to livestock operations in Ohio from documents and electronic files provided by Ohio Department of Agriculture, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in response to public records requests. The database may reflect certain inconsistencies, defects, or omissions in these source materials that were beyond EIP's control, such as variant spellings of facility names, changes in ownership, or attribution of pollution incidents to crop farmers rather than waste producers. The database is organized alphabetically by facility name, with permitted facilities signified by boldface type.
Amicus Curiae Brief: Negative effects of stormwater and CAFO's.
In response to a lower court decision upholding inadequate anti-degradation water rules in Kentucky, EIP submitted this amicus curiae brief with NRDC to the Sixth Circuit detailing the negative environmental consequences of stormwater and concentrated animal feeding operations.
Oct 10, 2006
Request for EPA to require Clean Air Act Permits in North Dakota
Sep 21, 2006
Comment letter requesting that EPA require appropriate Clean Air Act permits before allowing contruction of a new refinery in North Dakota.
Press Release: EIP Chalk Point Plant in Prince George's County Facing Lawsuit
Mirant Chalk Point Power Plant in Prince George's County Facing Lawsuit for 14,000 Pollution Law Violations.
Jun 21, 2006
The Environmental Integrity Project and three Maryland public interest groups announce their intent to sue a Maryland power plant for violation of Clean Air Act soot standards.
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