Tesoro fined $1.1 million by EPA

The Environmental Protection Agency has announced Tesoro has agreed to pay a $1.1 million penalty to resolve claims that Tesoro failed to comply with requirements under the Clean Air Act at four of its refineries, including their refinery at March Point.

In its complaint, EPA alleged that Tesoro failed to comply with record keeping, reporting, sampling, and testing requirements at its facilities in Anacortes, Washington; Kenai, Alaska; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Mandan, North Dakota.

"EPA’s fuel regulations are vital safeguards that protect our nation’s air quality,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "By taking action against violations of these regulations, EPA is not only protecting people’s health, but is also ensuring a level playing field for refiners that play by the rules.

The settlement requires that Tesoro implement an environmental compliance and auditing plan designed to prevent future violations and ensure compliance with EPA’s fuels regulations. The consent decree is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval.

EPA fuel regulations require that all fuel produced, imported and sold in the U.S. meet certain standards. Fuel that does not meet the standards can lead to increased emissions of harmful pollutants, such as volatile organic compounds and cancer-causing air toxics.

The fuel sampling, testing, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements provide the foundation for EPA’s compliance program. Refiners that violate these requirements undermine the integrity of the fuel regulations and hinder EPA’s ability to ensure gasoline complies with fuel quality and performance standards, potentially increasing harmful air pollution.