Ashland settles pollution claims

Ashland Inc. has agreed to spend $32.5 million to settle U.S. government allegations that its refineries in Minnesota, Ohio, and Kentucky have illegally discharged pollutants and failed to report violations. The U.S. Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency said the violations were at the Catlettsburg, Ky., St. Paul Park, Minn., and Canton, Ohio, refineries.

Oct. 12, 1998

2 min read

The U.S. Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency said the violations were at the Catlettsburg, Ky., St. Paul Park, Minn., and Canton, Ohio, refineries.

Ashland will pay more than $5.8 million in fines, $12 million to correct violations, and $14.9 million to perform supplemental environmental projects. The latter includes restoring 274 acres of rare prairie grass in Minnesota and performing air monitoring in the Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia tri-state area.

What's alleged

The federal agencies alleged that Ashland released excess sulfur dioxide and other pollutants at its Catlettsburg and Canton refineries, failed to report accidental releases of toxic chemicals at the Catlettsburg plant, made unauthorized wastewater discharges at all three refineries, and improperly managed hazardous wastes.

Justice said the violations were discovered during inspections in September-November 1996.

Ashland will be required to reduce particulate releases and improve the sulfur recovery unit at the Ohio refinery to prevent SO_xreleases.

It will improve the wastewater drainage system at its Ohio plant to prevent the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere, upgrade the wastewater treatment system at the Kentucky plant, and install wells to prevent the release of petroleum contaminants into the Mississippi River in Minnesota.

Ashland also will install advanced hydrofluoric acid release detection and mitigation systems at the Ohio and Minnesota refineries to warn workers and the surrounding communities about releases of hydrofluoric acid.

And it will improve an oil/water separation system and two tanks at the Ohio refinery to sharply cut emissions of VOCs into the atmosphere.

Last January, Ashland sold a 62% interest in the three refineries to a joint venture it formed with USX Corp. Ashland said the settlement will be paid out of $43 million reserved for environmental compliance.