Settlements With Three Natural Gas Processors To Reduce Air Pollution In Colorado, North Dakota, Wyoming, The Southern Ute Reservation, And The Uintah And Ouray Reservation

Clean Air Act settlements for facilities operated by Williams Companies, Inc., MPLX LP, and WES DJ Gathering LLC will reduce ozone-forming pollutants and greenhouse gases in EPA Region 8 communities

The Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced three separate Clean Air Act settlements with natural gas processors WES DJ Gathering LLC f/k/a/ Kerr McGee Gathering, LLC; MPLX LP; and The Williams Companies, Inc., et al which will require the companies to pay a combined $9.25M in civil penalties and make improvements at 25 gas processing plants and 91 compressor stations across 12 states and 2 Tribal communities. The States of Alabama, Colorado, Louisiana, North Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming, and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe are also settling claims in these cases.

The benefits of today’s settlements extend to communities in the EPA Region 8 states of Colorado, North Dakota, and Wyoming, as well as the Southern Ute Reservation in Colorado and the Uintah and Ouray Reservation in Utah.

“Today’s settlements will significantly reduce harmful emissions of ozone forming pollution, and greenhouse gases in Colorado, North Dakota, Wyoming, the Southern Ute Reservation and the Uintah and Ouray Reservation,” said EPA Region 8 Administrator KC Becker. “EPA will continue to hold companies accountable as we deliver cleaner air for communities across our region.”

Benefits for Northern Colorado: Settlement with WES DJ Gathering LLC for the Fort Lupton Complex
Today’s settlement with WES DJ Gathering LLC (WDJG) (f/k/a Kerr-McGee Gathering LLC) resolves alleged violations of federal and state clean air requirements related to leak detection and repair (LDAR) regulations. WDJG will take corrective actions at three contiguous gas processing plants known as the Fort Lupton Complex located 35 miles north of Denver. The company will pay a $3.5M civil penalty to be split evenly between the United States and the State of Colorado. The area where the Fort Lupton Complex is located does not meet EPA’s 8-hour National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for ground-level ozone and is designated as “severe” nonattainment.

Specifically, WDJG will implement an aggressive plan to replace older equipment with low-emission valves and connectors; repair leaking equipment; and implement an LDAR quality assurance/quality control program. WDJG has also agreed to use optical gas imaging technology to improve visual detection and resolution of leaks.

The company will also complete projects to mitigate harm caused by past emissions from the Fort Lupton Complex, including converting two existing glycol dehydrators at the nearby Frederick Compressor Station to zero-emitting dehydrators. In addition, the company will take two pre-1981 engines at the compressor station out of service.

When fully implemented, the settlement will reduce ozone-producing air pollution in northern Colorado by an estimated 162 tons per year and greenhouse gases by 17,433 tons per year of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e), including methane.

More information on the settlement with WES DJ Gathering LLC.

Benefits for the Southern Ute Reservation, Colorado, and Wyoming: Settlement with The Williams Companies, Inc.
Today’s second settlement with Williams and Harvest Four Corners (The Williams Companies, Inc.) addresses alleged violations of requirements to control volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from natural gas processing plants. The settlement requires Williams to pay a $3.75M civil penalty, strengthen its leak detection and repair (LDAR) practices at 15 natural gas processing plants, and perform leak monitoring and repair at 80 natural gas compressor stations across the U.S. The settlement covers natural gas processing plants near Parachute, Rifle, and Ignacio, Colorado; Wamsutter and Opal, Wyoming; and, ten compressor stations throughout Wyoming.

In addition, the settlement requires Harvest Four Corners to implement a flare monitoring project at the Ignacio Gas Plant on the Southern Ute Reservation under which it will evaluate its flare equipment and, if necessary, install new monitoring equipment to ensure optimal flare performance and control efficiency.

When fully implemented, the settlement will reduce ozone-producing air pollution by an estimated 419 tons per year and greenhouse gases by 3,675 tons per year of CO₂e across facilities in Colorado, Wyoming, and the Southern Ute Reservation.

The settlement includes civil penalties of $2,227,500 to the United States; $307,500 to the Southern Ute Indian Tribe; $298,875 to the State of Colorado; and $142,500 to the State of Wyoming.

More information on the settlement with the Williams Companies.

Benefits for North Dakota, Wyoming, and the Uintah and Ouray Reservation in Utah: Settlement with MPLX LP
EPA, the Justice Department, the State of North Dakota, and the State of Wyoming also announced a third settlement today with MPLX LP (MPLX) addressing noncompliance and strengthening air pollution controls at seven natural gas processing plants and three compressor stations in North Dakota, Wyoming, and the Uintah and Ouray Reservation in Utah. These include the Belfield, Robinson Lake, and Stanley gas plants in North Dakota; the Ironhorse and Redwash/24B gas plants on the Uintah and Ouray Reservation; and the Blacks Fork and Vermillion gas plants in Wyoming.

Specifically, MPLX has agreed to take steps to comply with Clean Air Act performance standards at all process units; implement LDAR programs, install technological fixes for pilot-operated pressure relief valves; comply with requirements for synthetic organic chemical manufacturing distillation units; and implement fugitive leak monitoring for heat exchangers and covered equipment.

MPLX has also agreed to additional relief for three compressor stations on the Uintah and Ouray Reservation and the Robinson Lake Gas Plant in North Dakota; enhanced catalyst operations and maintenance procedures for engines located at seven additional compressor stations; more frequent performance testing on engines; and automatic shutdown on the glycol dehydrators at the Wonsits Valley Compressor Station in Utah and the Robinson Lake Gas Plant to prevent emissions during flare downtime.

In addition, MPLX will install engine control equipment at the Flat Rock Compressor Station in Utah; conduct enhanced monitoring of all equipment in residue gas service at gas plants and compressor stations in North Dakota, Wyoming, and Utah; and plug and remediate four abandoned wells in North Dakota.

The injunctive relief and mitigation under this settlement is valued at approximately $4.5M. Civil penalties include $1,558,100 to the United States; $325,200 to State of North Dakota; and $116,700 to State of Wyoming. New controls, requirements, and mitigation projects will reduce ozone-producing air pollution by an estimated 95 tons per year and greenhouse gases by an estimated 3,850 tons per year of CO₂e across facilities in North Dakota, Wyoming, and the Uintah and Ouray Reservation.

More information on the settlement with MPLX LP.

Health and Climate Benefits
All three settlements announced today will significantly reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), VOCs and greenhouse gases. VOCs are a key component in the formation of smog or ground-level ozone, a pollutant that irritates the lungs, exacerbates diseases such as asthma, and can increase susceptibility to respiratory illnesses, such as pneumonia and bronchitis. NOx reacts with VOCs in the presence of sunlight to form ozone. Children, people with respiratory illness, the elderly, and those working or exercising outdoors have a higher risk of being harmed from breathing ozone.

Emissions at the affected facilities also emit greenhouse gases, including methane, a potent colorless and odorless gas which significantly contributes to global warming.

For each settlement, the United States will publish a notice of the Consent Decree’s lodging in U.S. District Court in the Federal Register and will accept public comment for 30 days.

The Consent Decrees lodged today are: United States, et al. v. The Williams Companies, Inc., et al.; United States, et al. v. MPLX LP; and United States, et al. v. WES DJ Gathering LLC fka Kerr-McGee Gathering LLC.

More information and a summary of the national results of these settlements (https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-and-justice-department-announce-clean-air-act-settlements-three-natural-gas).