The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Justice today announced an agreement with Ohio-based Marathon Petroleum Company (MP) that will reduce air pollution from the company's petroleum refineries in Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan and Ohio. Marathon will spend $319 million to install state-of-the-art Flare Gas Recovery Systems (FGRSs), which will capture and recycle gases that would otherwise be sent to combustion devices known as flares. MP will also spend $15.55 million on projects to reduce air pollution at three of the facilities and will pay a civil penalty of $326,500 to the United States.The settlement filed today in the U.S. District Court in Detroit amends a 2012 consent decree involving the company's flares. When fully implemented, today's agreement is expected to reduce harmful air pollutants like volatile organic compounds (VOCs), sulfur dioxides (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by approximately 1,037 tons per year. In 2012, MP agreed to reduce air pollution from flares by generating less waste gas and by installing equipment designed to make flares burn more efficiently. The 2012 settlement has reduced emissions of VOCs and SO2 by over 5,200 tons per year. Under the agreement filed today, MP will install seven FGRSs at an estimated cost of $319 million at five of its refineries located in Canton, Ohio; Catlettsburg, Ky.; Detroit; Garyville, La.; and Robinson, Ill. Marathon will be required to operate these FGRSs at a higher