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Sierra Club Acts to Stop Massive Oil Refinery from Illegally Polluting Texas Air

Case Updates:

July 12, 2010

On July 2, Sierra Club and Environment Texas took action to stop ExxonMobil’s refinery – the largest oil refinery in the U.S. – from illegally polluting Texas air. The environmental groups sent a notice of intent to sue to ExxonMobil for failing to properly regulate air pollutants from its massive oil refinery and petrochemical plant complex in Baytown. The complex has spewed ten million pounds of illegal pollution, including carcinogens, into the air over the past five years in violation of the Clean Air Act.

This notice letter is the second letter sent to ExxonMobil in recent months; the environmental groups put the company on notice in November 2009 for Clean Air Act violations at the Baytown Complex. Sierra Club and Environment Texas’ efforts connect to a larger statewide issue. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has already found problems with the state air quality program; air quality regulators are not monitoring and enforcing federal emission standards properly.

Sierra Club and Environmental Texas hope the notice letter will compel ExxonMobil, EPA, and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to address ongoing violations at the Baytown Complex. The environmental groups recently secured a settlement with Shell Oil Company for Clean Air Act violations at its Deer Park refinery and chemical plant in Harris County, Texas. As a result of the settlement, Shell significantly reduced air pollutant emissions at the facility and agreed to pay $5.8 million for past violations.

Details and Documents:

Sierra Club and Environment Texas' First Notice Letter to ExxonMobil
November 30, 2009

News Articles:

Enviro Groups threaten suit against U.S.'s largest refinery
July 7, 2010, Greenwire

Groups say Exxon violates US air laws
July 7, 2010 by Ramit Plushnick-Masti, Associated Press

More Info:

See other "Safeguarding Communities" cases.