Oil Refiners Agree To Pay $425 Million To Reduce Air Pollution In West

"Concluding a long legal climb to cleaner air, the federal government Monday announced a record $425-million settlement with two oil refiners that is expected to reduce pollution emissions in the West by almost 43,000 tons annually.

The Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency said the agreement with subsidiaries of Tesoro Corp. of San Antonio and Par Hawaii Refining resolves accusations of Clean Air Act violations against the two corporations.

'This settlement will reduce emissions in six separate states and ultimately result in cleaner air,' said Dennis McLerran, EPA Region 10 director.

The deal, years in the making, includes a civil penalty. But most of the settlement money - $403 million - is to be spent by the corporations to remedy the ongoing pollution they are accused of creating."

Rick Anderson reports for the Los Angeles Times July 18, 2016.