EPA Announces nearly $700,000 in Settlements for Clean Air Act Violations with Companies in the San Juan Basin

 USEPA News Release:

EPA Announces nearly $700,000 in Settlements for Clean Air Act Violations with Companies in the San Juan Basin

DALLAS, TEXAS (October 3, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is announcing administrative penalty settlements with three companies in the San Juan Basin in New Mexico: Logos Operating, LLC, DJR Operating, LLC, and Enduring Resources, LLC. In addition to each company paying a civil penalty, they will perform corrective actions estimated to result in a combined reduction of over 105,000 pounds of volatile organic compound (VOCs) emissions. VOCs contribute to the formation of ozone (smog), which can result in health problems such as asthma, lung infections, bronchitis, and cancer. There also are climate change co-benefits achieved through these settlements in the form of an estimated combined reduction of over 377,000 pounds of methane emissions. Methane is a potent climate pollutant that also impacts human health. The combined penalty amount of the settlements is $695,546.

“The flyovers continue to be a critical component in holding companies accountable to Clean Air Act standards and for safeguarding the air quality of nearby communities,” said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “The reduction of VOC’s and methane is an achievement and is consistent with previous flyover settlements. These settlements and the flyovers demonstrate EPA’s commitment to ensure companies are complying with environmental laws which are imperative to protecting human health.”

The three Consent Agreements and Final Orders address violations identified using optical gas imaging technology during helicopter flyovers conducted by an EPA contractor in September and October 2020. The settlements require that each facility undergo a facility review, complete site-specific corrective actions, and conduct monthly OGI inspections.

In addition to these actions, Logos Operating, LLC, will conduct site-specific tank pressure and vapor recovery unit (VRU) monitoring and pay a civil penalty of $84,546 for unauthorized emissions from storage tanks at two facilities.

DJR Operating, LLC will conduct site-specific tank pressure monitoring and pay a civil penalty of $426,000 for unauthorized emissions from storage tanks at 12 facilities.

Enduring Resources, LLC will conduct site-specific tank pressure monitoring, combustion control device monitoring, and VRU monitoring and pay a civil penalty of $185,000 for unauthorized emissions at five facilities from storage tanks and a combustor.

EPA’s helicopter flyovers of oil and gas facilities in the Permian Basin and San Juan Basin have been instrumental in reducing emissions from oil and gas facilities. By using state of the art optical gas imaging technology, EPA has been able to identify unauthorized emissions from facilities and take enforcement actions to address these emissions.