[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 25 (Wednesday, February 6, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5616-5617]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-2855]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE


Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree Pursuant to the Clean Air 
Act, Clean Water Act, and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

    Notice is hereby given, in accordance with 28 CFR Sec. 50.7, that 
on January 24, 2002, the United States lodged a proposed Consent Decree 
with the United States District Court for the Western District of 
Wisconsin, in United States v. Murphy Oil USA, Inc., Case No. 00-C-409-
C (W.D. Wis.), under the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Resource 
Conservation and Recovery Act. The proposed consent Decree resolves 
specific allegations and claims of the United States and the State of 
Wisconsin against Murphy Oil USA, Inc. (``Murphy Oil''), and specific 
violations found by the United States District Court for the Western 
District of Wisconsin, arising out of the company's operation of a 
petroleum refinery located at 2400 Stinson Avenue, Superior, Wisconsin. 
Under the settlement, Murphy will (1) Pay a civil penalty of $5.5 
million, $750,000 of which the United States will share with the State, 
(2) implement two Supplemental Environmental Projects (``SEPs'') which 
will reduce sulfur dioxide (``SO2'') emissions from certain 
units at the Refinery that were outside the lawsuit, at a cost of $7.5 
million over five years, and (3) install a new pollution control device 
and perform other injunctive measures to remedy past violations and 
prevent future violations.
    To address violations of the CAA's Prevention of Significant 
Deterioration (``PSD'') requirements and New Source Performance 
Standards at the Refinery's Sulfur Recovery Unit (``SRU''), Murphy will 
install a tail gas treatment unit which will substantially reduce 
SO2 emissions from the SRU and comply with stringent 
emission limitations that both EPA and the Wisconsin Department of 
Natural Resources (``WDNR'') believe are very close to Best Available 
Control Technology (``BACT''). The Decree further requires Murphy to 
apply to WDNR for a PSD permit, which will include a formal 
determination of BACT, and provides that, if BACT includes a more 
stringent SO2 emission limitation than that already in the 
Consent Decree, the Decree will be modified to incorporate the final 
BACT limitation. In addition, to address violations of the CAA's Leak 
Detection and Repair requirements, Murphy will implement for five years 
a Refinery-wide program the goal of which is to minimize volatile 
organic compound emissions from Refinery components. Finally, to 
address the CWA's Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures 
requirements, Murphy will undertake measures to bring certain tanks 
into compliance, including measuring certain containment areas and 
increasing their capacity, if necessary.
    To partially mitigate the penalty, Murphy will implement two SEPs: 
(1) A project to reduce Murphy's use of high sulfur fuel oil in process 
heaters and boilers to meet an SO2 emission limitation of 
33.3 tons per month, averaged over a rolling 12-month period; and (2) a 
project in which Murphy will use a SOX transfer catalyst at 
its FCCU to reduce SO2 emissions from the FCCU to no greater 
than 34.7 tons per month, averaged over a rolling 12-month period. 
These two SEPs will reduce SO2 emissions from the Refinery 
by at least 580 tons per year beyond legal requirements.
    The Department of Justice will accept written comments relating to 
the proposed Consent Decree for 30 days after publication of this 
Notice. Comments should be addressed to the Assistant Attorney General,

[[Page 5617]]

Environment and Natural Resources Division, United States Department of 
Justice, P.O. Box 7611, Ben Franklin Station, Washington, DC 20044-
7611, and should refer to United States v. Murphy Oil USA, Inc., DOJ # 
90-7-1-06523. The proposed Consent Decree may be examined at the Office 
of the United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, 
Madison, Wisconsin, and at the Region 5 Office of the United States 
Environmental Protection Agency, 77 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, 
Illinois 60604. A copy of the proposed consent decree may also be 
obtained by mail from the U.S. Department of Justice, Consent Decree 
Library, P.O. Box 7611, Washington, DC 20044-7611 or by faxing a 
request to Tonia Fleetwood, fax no. (202) 514-0097, phone confirmation 
number (202) 514-1547.
    In requesting a copy, please enclose a check for reproduction costs 
(at 25 cents per page) in the amount of $18.75 for the decree, payable 
to the United States Treasury.

William D. Brighton,
Assistant Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment and 
Natural Resources Division, U.S. Department of Justice.
[FR Doc. 02-2855 Filed 2-5-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-15-M