A refinery spewed black smoke into this NW community. Now this oil giant will pay
The Northwest Clean Air Agency slapped Shell with a $60,000 penalty Monday, July 26, after its Puget Sound Refinery in Anacortes spewed odorous black smoke into the air in August and September.
The two flaring events exceeded legal visible emissions for more than five minutes, impacting surrounding communities such as the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. Following the second incident on Sept. 29, the air agency received 12 complaints and issued a notice of violation to Shell in April.
The plume of emissions resulted from failure of equipment meant to break apart hydrocarbons to make products such as gasoline. When the unit failed, sulfur and other materials entered the flare system, billowing out into the surrounding area. The smoke could be smelled several miles downwind of the refinery.
The Swinomish Tribe celebrated the penalty against Shell in a press release, writing that the toxic pollution sickened some tribal community members and reservation residents so severely that they had to seek medical treatment.
“With two oil refineries literally in our backyard, we are directly impacted by the refineries’ operations, and we need them to do better,” said Swinomish Tribal Chairman Steve Edwards. “Clean air is of vital importance to the health of our Tribal members and Reservation residents, and while we applaud the Northwest Clean Air Agency for holding Shell Oil accountable for the 2020 harmful pollution events, what’s even more important is that Shell Oil take the necessary steps to ensure that the Swinomish Tribe not suffer from these types of incidents in the future.”
In 2015, Shell also released toxic air emissions from the refinery, prompting nearly 100 Swinomish Tribal members to experience severe symptoms like dizziness, coughing, eye irritation, nausea and gagging, breathing problems, and lung and chest pains, the release said. The Environmental Protection Agency levied a penalty of $191,000 against Shell for the 2015 incident earlier this year.
The Puget Sound Refinery can process approximately 149,000 barrels of crude oil per day and produces multiple types of gasoline, fuel oil, diesel fuel, propane, jet fuel, butane and petroleum coke.
Shell has 30 days to appeal the penalty to the Washington Pollution Control Hearings Board, according to a news release. The oil giant will not own the Anacortes refinery for much longer — it’s selling the facility to a Texas-based independent refinery company in an effort to reduce its global refinery footprint to core sites, according to earlier reporting in The Bellingham Herald. The deal will earn Shell $350 million in cash plus the value of the hydrocarbon inventory. If approved, the sale is expected to be finalized by the end of the year.
This story was originally published July 26, 2021 at 5:10 PM.
