EPA Intervenes: Federal Regulators Challenge Utah's Handling of Chevron Refinery Pollution

A contentious environmental standoff is unfolding in Utah, as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has stepped in to rebuke the state’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) for its perceived leniency towards the Chevron Salt Lake City refinery. At the heart of the dispute are alleged violations of the Clean Air Act, specifically concerning excessive benzene emissions from the refinery, a situation the EPA has preliminarily deemed to be “significant non-compliance.”

The controversy began to simmer after Chevron’s refinery in Salt Lake City was found to have repeatedly exceeded its permitted benzene emission limits during the summer of 2023.

Benzene, a volatile organic compound, is a known human carcinogen, and its presence in the air poses serious health risks to nearby communities. In response to these violations, the Utah DEQ issued a Notice of Violation (NOV) to Chevron on November 2, 2023. However, critically, this notice did not include any penalties or immediate enforcement actions against the energy giant.

This is where federal regulators drew a line.

The EPA has expressed profound concern over the DEQ’s approach, criticizing what it views as a “failure to initiate an enforcement action” despite the serious nature of the infractions. According to the EPA, the state’s handling of the situation was insufficient, prompting the federal agency to declare its intent to pursue “additional and appropriate enforcement action” to ensure compliance and accountability.

The DEQ, while acknowledging the NOV, has defended its process.

A spokesperson stated that the department was “working closely with Chevron to determine the cause [of the emissions] and implement solutions.” This cooperative stance, however, is precisely what troubles environmental advocacy groups and the EPA alike, who argue that such a soft touch allows polluters to operate without sufficient deterrence.

Environmental organizations, including HEAL Utah and Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment (UPHE), have voiced strong criticisms, pointing to a historical pattern of what they describe as the DEQ’s reluctance to fine or genuinely penalize industrial facilities for environmental breaches.

Dr. Brian Moench of UPHE articulated this frustration, highlighting instances where federal intervention was required to address violations that state regulators had seemingly overlooked or handled too gently.

This isn't the first time the EPA has had to exert federal authority over Utah’s environmental enforcement.

A similar situation arose with the HollyFrontier refinery (now HF Sinclair), where the DEQ’s initial response to violations was also deemed inadequate by the EPA, ultimately leading to federal action. This recurring pattern raises serious questions about the effectiveness of state-level oversight and the prioritization of public health and clean air within Utah’s industrial corridors.

The ongoing dispute underscores the critical importance of robust environmental regulation, especially in areas like the Wasatch Front, which frequently experience poor air quality.

As federal regulators move to assert their authority, the residents living near the Chevron refinery and across the Salt Lake Valley await a resolution that promises not just compliance, but genuine protection from harmful industrial emissions. The outcome of this federal intervention will undoubtedly set a precedent for how environmental violations are addressed in Utah going forward.