CITGO Fined For Alleged Air Pollution In Louisiana

CHICAGO (AP) — The Department of Justice says Houston-based CITGO Petroleum Corp. has agreed pay a $737,000 fine and install air pollution controls at refineries in Illinois and Louisianato resolve alleged Clean Air Act violations.

The agency said Thursday that fuel produced at the Lake Charles, La., refinery exceeded the facility's annual average emissions limit for air toxins. It says the company also failed to sample and test reformulated gasoline at its Lemont, Ill., refinery.

Federal law requires that fuel meet certain emissions limits for harmful pollutants.

The company also will install pollution controls at the two refineries, reducing emissions by more than 100 tons over five years.

The settlement was filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.

A CITGO spokesman didn't immediately have a comment on Thursday.