Media News Stories of SEPs report
Refinery sanctions challenged
By Elvia Aguilar Caller-Times
June 30, 2006
When refineries break the law, they are allowed to choose part of their
punishment. Local environmentalist Suzie Canales hopes to change that process.
With refinery smokestacks as her backdrop, Canales held a news conference
Thursday to release a study on how supplemental environmental projects
conducted by local refineries don't directly benefit the communities
affected by violations.
"When a person goes before the court because he or she has broken the
law, the criminal doesn't get to pick the punishment," said Canales, co-
founder of the local environmental group, Citizens for Environmental
Justice. "In this case, legislators are giving the privilege to the
polluters."
Canales explained that when refineries violate environmental laws they
can elect to undertake supplemental environmental projects in place of a
portion of the fines for their actions.
Canales made a trip to Washington, D.C., on June 19 to talk to
Environmental Protection Agency officials and legislators about her concerns.
An EPA official confirmed her visit with Granta Nakayama, assistant
administrator in the office of enforcement and compliance, and said
Nakayama regularly meets with members of the public interested in
environmental issues.
"Legislators must introduce bills that would change the current law that
gives violators the authority to choose supplemental environmental
projects," Canales said.
In her study, which was supported by the consumer advocacy group Public
Citizen and the Refinery Reform Campaign, Canales says Citgo's choice of
replacing three existing natural gas-fired, wet compressors with a single
electriccompressor is a benefit to the company and not the community.
"Replacing natural gas compressors with an electric compressor would
appear to benefit Citgo in light of high gas prices," the study reads.
Other projects cited in the study are Diamond Shamrock's Refining and
Marketing's construction of a water exchange between Sunset Lake in
Portland and Lake Corpus Christi Bay, and Ticona Polymers Inc.'s check
for the purchase and donation of equipment to the Corpus Christi Fire
Department, among others.
Though she agrees that these are good projects, Canales said her concerns
are that there isn't community input in these decisions.
Citgo spokesman Chuck Cazalas said many of the refineries' supplemental
projects redirect fine money toward a beneficial use.
"Many companies prefer to negotiate to try to make the area better,"
Cazalas said. "Companies generally make several recommendations to the
(EPA) and then there are discussions as to what would benefit the area,
as opposed to paying the federal government a fine that goes down the
hole for projects such as bridges that go nowhere. The (EPA) generally
drives the decision about where the money should be put."
Canales said she wants to see the EPA work together with the refineries
and local community members before making a decision on the projects.
"My goal is to see childhood cancer and other health studies conducted,"
Canales said.
Canales said she would continue to use her study as a voice for the
communities near the refineries.
Contact Elvia Aguilar at 886-3678 or aguilare@caller.com
Copyright 2006, Caller.com. All Rights Reserved.
Environmental group unhappy with the way refineries are fined
Channel 6 news
www.kristv.com
June 29, 2006
CORPUS CHRISTI - Members of a local environmental group said they're not
happy with the way the state and federal government holds refineries
accountable for breaking environmental regulations and they want some changes.
When a refinery is cited for a problem and forced to pay a fine, refinery
officials can decide to participate in something called a supplemental
environmental project or SEP. That's basically a environmental community
service project, which can lower that fine. Now, local environmentalists
want to make sure that project actually helps the community affected.
The Hillcrest neighborhood literally sits in the shadows of major local
refineries. So if dangerous chemicals are ever accidentally released
it's an area would likely be affected first. That's why neighbors are
concerned that SEPs are not always being performed in their area.
"We feel violated, again. First by the refinery violating us with their
releases, and then when it comes down to distributing the money from
violations, we feel violated again and completely ignored," said
Hillcrest resident Harold Branch.
The Citizens for Environmental Justice (CFEJ) cites a 1999 SEP, where
Citgo officials made a contribution to a bird nesting site on Shamrock
Island, (map) after emitting various gases without a permit. But these
local environmentalists don't believe that's fair. They said the people
who were affected should've been the one's who were compensated.
"They have to be, they're the ones that had to take the burden of the
pollution during the violations", said CFEJ spokesperson Suzie Canales.
The way the system works now, the government and the polluter decide
where to perform the SEP and then seek public input. But Canales said
that doesn't make much sense.
"Well that's too late because the decision's already has been made and it
gives the illusion of meaningful community input, when actually there
isn't any being given," Canales said.
The Citizens for Environmental Justice would like to see a new law where
the violators do not determine their own so-called "Community Service
Project".
They believe this current program is the same thing as allowing a
criminal to decide his or her own punishment. Suzie Canales has met with
federal officials to see if the law can be changed.
Online Reporter: Shaun Hegarty
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