Delta Western has settled with the Environmental Protection Agency over allegations it violated emission standards at its tank farm in Juneau a mile south of downtown.
The Seattle-based company neither admitted nor denied any wrongdoing in the settlement. But had it been convicted and sentenced to the maximum penalties, it could have paid out more than $90 million.
The company settled for a fraction of that — $400,000 — and agreed to upgrade its emission control equipment by the end of next month.
EPA enforcement officer John Keenan says that emission control equipment is required when a company offloads more than 20,000 gallons of gasoline in a day.
“The regulations are really designed to reduce emissions of hazardous air pollutants,” Keenan told CoastAlaska.
EPA also alleges that Delta Western didn’t keep good records and was warned repeatedly about its Juneau facility. It will upgrade its tanks to keep gasoline fumes from escaping by October 31.
“Those hazardous air pollutants going into the community would be reduced when these facility completes the installation of all these emission controls,” Keenan added.
Company spokeswoman Piper Pettersen said in a statement that the company cares about the health and well-being of the people and environments in which it operates.
“The vapor recovery system in Juneau ensures we are in compliance with air regulations and also enables us to serve customers we were unable to accommodate in the past,” she wrote.
Delta Western — a subsidiary of Texas-based NorthStar Energy — also operates Southeast fuel facilities in Sitka, Haines and Yakutat.
Jacob Resneck is CoastAlaska's regional news director in Juneau.
