Williams and ConocoPhillips have agreed to pay fines totaling nearly $250,000 and reduce emissions from some facilities to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Air Act at the Southern Ute Reservation in Colorado’s San Juan Basin near Durango, CO, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Houston-based ConocoPhillips agreed to pay a $198,000 penalty and conduct mitigation projects at its Southern Ute Compressor Station. Violations were discovered at the station during a self-audit conducted by ConocoPhillips and subsequently disclosed to EPA. Measures taken as a result of the settlement will reduce annual emissions of volatile organic compounds by 137 tons, hazardous air pollutants including formaldehyde and benzene by 90 tons and carbon monoxide by 33 tons, and will conserve 5.5 MMcf per year, EPA said.

In a separate agreement Tulsa-based Williams agreed to pay a $50,000 penalty and expand a leak detection program at its Ignacio Gas Plant. The settlement resolves alleged Clean Air Act violations at the plant and Williams’ Ute E compressor station that were discovered through EPA inspections. The expected annual emission reductions associated with the measures include approximately 14,000 lbs of volatile organic compounds, EPA said.

In early 2010 ConocoPhillips agreed to pay $175,000 in civil penalties and install pollution control equipment and implement other emission-reduction practices to reduce harmful emissions and conserve natural gas at its Argenta and Sunnyside compressor stations on the Southern Ute Reservation (see Daily GPI, Feb. 8, 2010).

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