Sept. 2, 2004
In one of the region’s largest air pollution penalties, ExxonMobil Oil
Corp. paid $8.25 million this week to the South Coast Air Quality Management
District to settle numerous air quality violations at the company’s Torrance
refinery and Terminal Island facility.
“ExxonMobil has cooperated with AQMD in its investigation of these
violations and has addressed the problems we found,” said Barry Wallerstein,
AQMD’s executive officer. “Nevertheless, these are significant and numerous
violations that merit a substantial penalty.”
The penalty settlement, the third largest in AQMD’s history, is for
dozens of violations of AQMD’s rules and regulations at ExxonMobil’s
refinery at 3700 West 190th St. in Torrance and terminal at 551 Pilchard St.
on Terminal Island between January 2001 and May 2004.
Most of the ExxonMobil violations were for improper inspection and
maintenance of large, above-ground tanks used to store gasoline and other
petroleum-based liquids; and for leaks of smog-forming volatile organic
compounds from those tanks and other equipment.
AQMD and ExxonMobil agreed on terms of the settlement earlier
this summer. AQMD received
the full penalty payment from ExxonMobil on Sept. 1.
The first and second largest penalty settlements with AQMD respectively
were with AES Alamitos LLC, for $17 million in December 2000; and with Los
Angeles Department of Power and Water, for $14 million also in 2000. Both
of those settlements were for excess power plant emissions during the
state’s energy crisis.
The AQMD continues to seek more than $400 million in penalties against BP
West Coast Products LLC in a Superior Court case. A portion of the penalties
sought in the case relate to the company’s failure to inspect and maintain
large above-ground storage tanks at its Carson refinery. The BP case,
however, involves far more numerous and serious allegations including
intentional conduct and the falsification of documents.
AQMD is the air pollution control agency for Orange County and major
portions of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
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