Pennsylvania refinery slashes emissions in bid to reach EPA standard

United Refining Co. has significantly reduced sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions from its Warren, Pennsylvania, facility, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) says. The clean-up effort should allow the facility to meet Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requirements, DEP says. Since Warren County, Pennsylvania, was designated nonattainment in 2010, the oil and gas refinery has reduced SO2 emissions by 62 percent and maintained levels below the standard of 75 parts per billion since 2015, according to a news release. Short term exposure to SO2 has been linked to respiratory conditions in humans. DEP expects that the area will be in attainment with the ambient air quality standard in 2018, following the required three years of sampling. Modifications made in conjunction with the DEP have been memorialized in a Consent Order and Agreement (COA), which was submitted to the EPA for 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.