Seaport Refining to Pay $127,000 Penalty Under Settlement with EPA Tied to Refinery in Redwood City

 EPA News Release:

Seaport Refining to Pay $127,000 Penalty Under Settlement with EPA Tied to Refinery in Redwood City

Contact: Joshua Alexander (alexander.joshua@epa.gov)

415-214-5940

San Francisco – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement with Seaport Refining & Environmental, LLC, the owner and operator of a petroleum refinery in Redwood City, California, over claims of violations of the Clean Water Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. The refinery, which receives and processes waste fuel including gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, is located near Redwood Creek and First Slough, which flow to the San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. Seaport Refining produces approximately 2,200 pounds of hazardous waste per month.

As a result of EPA’s findings, the company will pay $127,192 in civil penalties and implement compliance tasks, including developing an air emission monitoring plan, submitting quarterly air emission monitoring results, and inspecting and repairing the facility’s tanks.

“It is paramount that oil processing facilities, including refineries like the Seaport Refining facility in Redwood City, properly handle hazardous substances,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “When companies do not effectively manage a dangerous substance, in accordance with the law, the local community and workers are endangered. EPA will not hesitate to levy significant penalties.”

U.S. law requires the safe management of hazardous waste to protect public health and the environment and to prevent the need for costly and extensive cleanups. This settlement is part of a national EPA initiative aimed at reducing hazardous air emissions at hazardous waste facilities.

The settlement also addresses violation of the Clean Water Act’s Oil Pollution Prevention Regulations. These aim to prevent oil from reaching navigable waters and adjoining shorelines and to ensure containment of oil discharges in the event of a spill. Specific prevention measures called for in the regulations include developing and implementing spill prevention plans, training staff, and installing physical controls to contain and clean up oil spills.

Visit EPA’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Laws and Regulations and Clean Water Act Hazardous Substances Spill Prevention websites for more information.

For more information on reporting possible violations of environmental laws and regulations visit EPA’s enforcement reporting website.

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