The Department of Environmental Protection and United Refining Company Thursday announced changes to United Refining’s facility in Warren has reduced sulfur dioxide emissions by 62 percent from 2011 levels thanks to recent modifications.

These modifications were initiated by United Refining and have been memorialized in a Consent Order and Agreement signed by both DEP and United Refining.

This agreement was part of Pennsylvania’s proposed revision to its State Implementation Plan (SIP) designed to bring Conewango Township, Glade Township and the City of Warren in Warren County into compliance with federal air emissions standards.

The area was previously designated as nonattainment for the 2010 1-hour Federal National Ambient Air Quality Standard for SO2. Short term exposure to SO2 has been linked to respiratory conditions in humans.

DEP expects that it will be able to demonstrate that portions of Warren County, specifically, Conewango Township, Glade Township and the City of Warren, that are in the nonattainment area, will in attainment with ambient air quality standard in 2018, following the required three years of sampling.

Following the reductions made by United Refining in 2015, sulfur dioxide levels in the Warren Nonattainment Area have been well below the standard of 75 parts per billion.

The proposed SIP revision, including the Consent Order and Agreement, has been submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency and is currently under review.

The COA allows the newly agreed limits to be legally enforceable, and should United Refining’s emissions exceed any of the newly agreed upon limits, there are specific stipulated penalties in place that will continue daily until the air emissions are once again meeting the agreed upon limits.

Questions should be directed to Neil Shader, DEP Press Office, 717-787-1323, or send email to: nshader@pa.gov.

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[Posted: Nov 9, 2017]

11/13/2017