Kansas oil refinery to pay $1.6 million penalty after fire, death of employee, EPA says
An oil refinery in El Dorado will pay a $1.6 million penalty after the Environmental Protection Agency accused the company of violating the federal Clean Air Act, resulting in the death of an employee in 2017, according to an EPA news release.
HollyFrontier El Dorado Refining “stores regulated hazardous substances and failed to comply with requirements intended to protect the public from accidental releases,” the news release said.
An EPA inspection in 2014 found the refinery failed “to evaluate hazards and compile safety information,” the release said.
In 2017, a heater tube ruptured at the refinery, resulting in a fire that killed an employee. An EPA investigation alleges that HollyFrontier failed to maintain a safe facility, and failed to inspect and replace heater tubes, the release says.
“HollyFrontier’s operations presented a significant risk to its workers and the surrounding El Dorado community,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meg McCollister.
The refinery entered a consent decree in 2020 with state and federal government, resolving the dispute without admitting guilt or liability. The decree required the company to conduct a third-party compliance audit to see if it was following Clean Air Act regulations.
The penalty announced Tuesday satisfies the federal government’s penalty claims from the 2014 inspection and 2017 fire.