February 26, 2020
On January 8, 2020, the Utah Attorney General’s Office discussed compliance and enforcement with the Utah Air Quality Board according to January 23, 2020 Trinity Consultants report. The AG’s report presentation focused on R307-130, General Penalty Policy.
The purpose of the R307-130 policy is to provide guidance to the director to resolve non-compliance situations. Penalties for non-compliant sources are divided into four categories, ranging from minor to high impact on public health and environment, and spanning from $299 to $10,000 fines per day. The highest penalties are applied to violations of NESHAP standards, nonattainment area or PSD increment exceedances, or documented damage to public health and/or the environment.
The policy allows for adjustments to penalties based on the actions taken or avoided by a non-compliant source. For example, a source’s openness, promptness, and willingness to cooperate with the State; the source’s history of compliance; the economic benefits of non-compliance; and a source’s ability to pay the prescribed penalty may affect the severity of the penalty given.
The AG’s January presentation to the Air Quality Board follows a scathing November 2019 state auditor report concluding Utah’s oil and gas program has let industry skirt environmental regulations, allowing cases of noncompliance to go unresolved for years, dilapidated wells to go without timely inspections and inadequate bonding to put taxpayers on the hook for at least $1 million in reclamation costs.
What this means to you
On January 8, 2020 Utah’s Attorney General Office reviewed compliance, enforcement and penalties with the state’s Air Quality Board providing guidance under RS307-130. Penalties for non-compliant sources are divided into four categories, ranging from minor to high impact on public health and environment, and spanning from $299 to $10,000 fines per day.
MIRATECH can help
Contact MIRATECH for stationary engine VOC emission control in Utah.