By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, May 10 -- ExxonMobil Corp. agreed to pay $250,000 in penalties to the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) for excess emissions on Mar. 22 from its 130,000 b/d Torrance, Calif., refinery, AQMD confirmed May 10.
AQMD is the air pollution control agency for Orange County, Calif., and the urban portions of Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties.
A failure in a sulfur-recovery unit prompted shutdowns of other refining equipment and the release of nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, and other substances, ExxonMobil said.
Also related to the Mar. 22 incident, ExxonMobil agreed to spend up to $2 million for a Supplemental Environmental Project to cut CO2 emissions, volatile organic compounds, and other pollutants from the Torrance refinery, AQMD said.
The major agreed to pay an additional $150,000 penalty for 23 notices of violations issued by AQMD that were unrelated to the Mar. 22 incident.