EPA orders $2.1 million fine in air pollution settlement

NEW TOWN — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued a $2.1 million fine for air pollution at oil and gas wells primarily on the state’s Fort Berthold Indian Reservation.

But the settlement against Slawson Exploration Co. announced Thursday stems from just one of many enforcement actions underway against state operators for air quality violations.

Slawson agreed to pay the fine under a settlement agreement after the EPA claimed the company violated the Clean Air Act by not properly controlling emissions at 170 well pads in the state.

The violations primarily stem from storage tanks that were releasing volatile organic compounds into the atmosphere, first observed by EPA inspectors in 2014. The EPA said VOCs are a pollutant that irritates the lungs, exacerbates diseases such as asthma and can increase susceptibility to respiratory illnesses.

Read more: http://bismarcktribune.com/news/state-and-regional/epa-orders-million-fine-in-air-pollution-settlement/article_a3677d53-e807-588e-9ae6-af5a141daecd.html