WASHINGTON, May 31 (UPI) -- Oil refiner Tesoro Corp. agreed to pay $1.1 million to settle claims it violated the Clean Air Act at refineries in four states, the U.S. EPA said.
The Environmental Protection Agency said Tesoro didn't comply with Clean Air Act requirements for reporting, sampling and testing of equipment at Alaska, North Dakota, Utah and Washington refineries.
Tesoro was accused of failing to monitor the production of gasoline. Violations of EPA standards could lead to the release of compounds known to cause cancer.
"EPA's fuel regulations are vital safeguards that protect our nation's air quality," EPA Assistant Administrator Cynthia Giles said in a statement. "By taking action against violations of these regulations, EPA is not only protecting people's health, but is also ensuring a level playing field for refiners that play by the rules."
Tesoro said it takes it environmental obligations seriously. It's required to adopt an auditing plan to ensure there are no future EPA violations.
President of Utah Physicians for a Health Environment Brian Moench told The Salt Lake City Tribune the violations were more severe than at first glance.
"Without those records there is no way for the EPA or independent observers to act in a watchdog role and ensure that nothing improper is going on in the (gasoline) production process," he said.
