FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ENRD

MONDAY, APRIL 30, 2007 (202) 514-2007

WWW.USDOJ.GOV TDD (202) 514-1888

Texas Refinery Will Pay $2.9 Million

to Resolve Air Violations
Company Will Take Significant Steps to Reduce
Harmful Emissions
WASHINGTON – Total Petrochemical USA Inc. (Total) will pay a $2.9 million
penalty and upgrade pollution controls at its Port Arthur, Texas, refinery to resolve
alleged violations of the Clean Air Act, the Department of Justice and the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today. Total will make changes
to its facility, estimated to cost $37 million, that will significantly reduce the
facility’s emissions of air pollutants. Once fully completed, the measures Total will
implement will reduce annual emissions of nitrogen oxides by more than 180 tons,
sulfur dioxide by more than 800 tons, and carbon monoxide by more than 120 tons.

The company has agreed to upgrade leak detection and repair practices and to
implement programs to minimize the flaring of hazardous gases, which can cause
serious respiratory problems and exacerbate asthma. Total will also adopt strategies
to ensure the proper handling of benzene wastewater, a byproduct of processing
operations at the refinery.

“Today’s settlement shows a commitment by Total to significantly reduce the

emissions that can have serious health effects,” said Matthew J. McKeown, Acting
Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural
Resources Division. “We are committed to enforcing the laws that protect the
environment and public health, in an effort to continue bringing the refinery
industry into compliance.”

“This settlement is another success in EPA’s overall effort to reduce refinery

pollution,” said Granta Nakayama, EPA’s Assistant Administrator for Enforcement
and Compliance Assurance. “With today’s settlement, 86 refineries in 25 states
across the nation have agreed to address environmental problems and invest over
$4.5 billion in new pollution control technologies.”

The measures Total is taking will significantly reduce emissions generated by flaring
—the process by which byproduct-gas from the refining process is burned-off in a
flaring device. Under the settlement, penalties will apply to the future flaring of both
acid gas and hydrocarbon gases that contain hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide.
This settlement, part of EPA’s national effort to reduce air emissions from
refineries, is the first refinery settlement to include fixed penalties for the flaring of
hydrocarbon gases. The settlement also includes a Supplemental Environmental
Project that requires the company to test new infrared camera technology to detect
equipment leaks. These equipment leaks may contain emissions that contribute to
ground-level ozone and smog. Infrared leak-detection cameras are state-of-the-art
technology that allow faster detection of equipment leaks.

Today’s agreement, lodged in the Eastern District of Texas, is subject to a 30-day

public comment period and final court approval.

A copy of the consent decree is available on the Department of Justice Web site at
http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/Consent_Decrees.html.

More information on the petroleum refinery initiative is available at

http://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/cases/civil/caa/oil/index.html

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