# SHELL CHEMICAL COMPANY
> **Judicial** · FY1983 · — · Final Order With Penalty
## Case
- **Activity ID:** `33753`
- **Case Number:** 06-1983-0010
- **Type:** Judicial
- **Lead:** EPA
- **Outcome:** Final Order With Penalty
- **Penalty assessed:** $50K
- **Cost recovery:** —
- **Compliance action $:** —
- **Multimedia (multi-env):** N
## Defendants
- SHELL OIL CO. (complaint) (settlement)
## Summary

NATURE OF THE CASE                                          SHELL OWNS AND OPERATED AN ETHYLENE DICHLORIDE (EDC)/      VINYL CHLORIDE (VC) MONOMER PLANT IN MORCO, LA.  THE PLANT   IS SUBJECT TO THE NAT'L EMISSIONS STND FOR VC, A HAZARDOUS   AIR POLLUTANT.  40CFR 61.65(A) PROHIBITS THE DISCHARGE OF VC TO THE ATMOSPHERE THROUGH A RELIEF VALVE, EXCEPT IN          EMERGENCIES.  THERE HAVE BEEN 15 DISCHARGES AT THIS POINT    WHICH REGION VI HAS DETERMINED TO BE PREVENTABLE AND SO IN   VIOLATION OF THE STANDARD, TOTALING OVER 43,000 LBS.              PROPOSED REMEDY                                           THE PLANT IS CURRENTLY SHUT DOWN INDEFINITELY.  REGION VI  IS SEEKING RELIEF WHICH WOULD REQUIRE SHELL TO SUBMIT, FOR   EPA APPROVAL PRIOR TO RESTARTING THE PLANT, OPERATING AND    EMERGENCY PROCEDURES, TRAINING PLANS, AND PLANS FOR OTHER    MEASURES TO PREVENT FUTURE DISCHARGES.  REGION VI IS ALSO    RECOMMENDING A CIVIL PENALTY OF $57,000.                         ISSUES OF NATIONAL OR PRECEDENTAL SIGNIFICANCE             THIS CASE WILL BE FILED IN THE EASTRN DIST OF LA.  THE     MIDDLE DIST OF LA RECENTLY DISMISSED THE ETHYL CASE ON THE   GROUNDS THAT THIS REGULATION IS INVALID BECAUSE IT IS A      WORK PRACTICE STANDARD.  ALTHOUGH SHELL HAS MADE A SETTLE-   MENT OFFER, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE CO MAY WITHDRAW ITS      OFFER AND CHOOSE TO DEFEND BASED ON THE ETHYL DECISION.      ETHYL DECISION APPEALED.

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*Source: [EPA ECHO](https://echo.epa.gov/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*