A handful of DCP Midstream LP’s subsidiaries must pay $3.25 million over alleged Clear Air Act violations in Colorado, according to a Justice Department press release. The settlement reached between the company and the EPA, Justice Department, and State of Colorado requires DCP to drastically change how eight of its natural gas processing plants detect leaks and handle repairs. Under the settlement, DCP does not admit to liability, though it’s clear from the EPA’s findings that DCP facilities, located primarily in Weld County, were emitting outright dangerous levels of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and methane. Once DCP invests its estimated $1.15 million in its Kersey/Mewbourne natural gas processing plant to mitigate prior emissions issues, VOC emissions are expected to drop by 26 tons annually, while methane emissions will drop by 375 tons annually.
VOC exposure can cause nose and throat issues as well as headaches and nausea, while methane exposure can bring even more severe health issues, including long-term issues for the cardiovascular, respiratory, and neurological systems. The consent decree published by the Justice Department on Monday shows rampant ground-level ozone issues concerning VOCs and methane that were made worse by DCP’s “thousands of failures to monitor and repair leaking equipment.” This includes using aging, leaky equipment, responding slowly to leaks, and responding inadequately when issues do come to workers’ attention.
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”This settlement will reduce emissions of over 288 tons of volatile organic compounds and 1,300 tons of methane from production areas near northern Colorado communities, a majority of which are disproportionately impacted by pollution,” EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker said in a statement about the overall agreement between the agencies, state government, and DCP. Though such a reduction is admirable, it’s not nearly enough to reach the Biden administration’s net-zero goals and only addresses minor issues with DCP’s natural gas facilities. DCP hasn’t just made life worse for Coloradans with its natural gas facilities but also the pipelines that snake through the state transporting fossil fuels.
Farmers fed up with rampant pipeline leaks last year sued DCP and Mountain Construction Inc. over what lawyers representing the couple suing the companies described as “subterranean toxic spaghetti.” The company also has its hands outside of the Centennial State and owns dozens of natural gas facilities, plus pipelines spanning more than 60,000 miles. DCP is a Fortune 500 company that made almost $11 billion in revenue last year alone, so a $3.25 million penalty—or 0.02% of that revenue—is throwing pennies at a problem that’s only going to increase in costs as the years tick by and fossil fuel companies keep lining their pockets instead of responding in good faith to the climate crisis.
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VOC exposure can cause nose and throat issues as well as headaches and nausea, while methane exposure can bring even more severe health issues, including long-term issues for the cardiovascular, respiratory, and neurological systems. The consent decree published by the Justice Department on Monday shows rampant ground-level ozone issues concerning VOCs and methane that were made worse by DCP’s “thousands of failures to monitor and repair leaking equipment.” This includes using aging, leaky equipment, responding slowly to leaks, and responding inadequately when issues do come to workers’ attention.
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”This settlement will reduce emissions of over 288 tons of volatile organic compounds and 1,300 tons of methane from production areas near northern Colorado communities, a majority of which are disproportionately impacted by pollution,” EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker said in a statement about the overall agreement between the agencies, state government, and DCP. Though such a reduction is admirable, it’s not nearly enough to reach the Biden administration’s net-zero goals and only addresses minor issues with DCP’s natural gas facilities. DCP hasn’t just made life worse for Coloradans with its natural gas facilities but also the pipelines that snake through the state transporting fossil fuels.
Farmers fed up with rampant pipeline leaks last year sued DCP and Mountain Construction Inc. over what lawyers representing the couple suing the companies described as “subterranean toxic spaghetti.” The company also has its hands outside of the Centennial State and owns dozens of natural gas facilities, plus pipelines spanning more than 60,000 miles. DCP is a Fortune 500 company that made almost $11 billion in revenue last year alone, so a $3.25 million penalty—or 0.02% of that revenue—is throwing pennies at a problem that’s only going to increase in costs as the years tick by and fossil fuel companies keep lining their pockets instead of responding in good faith to the climate crisis.
We need your help to write 10,000,000 letters to infrequent but Democratic-leaning prospective voters in key congressional districts and Senate swing states this election, urging them to exercise their right to vote. Sign up with Vote Forward and join the most popular and effective Get Out the Vote (GOTV) activity in Daily Kos history.