Hovensa LLC has received orders from the US Environmental Protection Agency to improve its programs and plans that help prevent chemical releases and provide quick responses when they occur. EPA issued the order on Aug. 25 after finding that the US Virgin Island refiner violated federal Clean Air Act provisions related to the development of risk management programs and submission of risk management plans (OGJ Online, Feb. 17, 2011).
EPA said it discovered the violations during a January inspection of Hovensa’s 500,000-b/d refinery at St. Croix, and found the Hess Corp. subsidiary’s existing risk management plan inadequate.
It said in its order that violations at the plant included failures to maintain equipment, to take steps to identify problems before they occur, to provide training to employees for controlling hazards during operations, and to ensure that proper operating procedures are being followed. The order includes a schedule for Hovensa to address these and other violations, according to EPA.
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