3/23/17 - ON MARCH 23, 2107, THE ACTING REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR SIGNED AN CAA LETTER REFERRAL REQUESTING THAT DOJ INCLUDE TWO FACILITIES OWNED BY MARKWEST ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. (MARKWEST ENERGY), AND ONE FACILITY OWNED BY A MARK WEST ENERGY SUBSIDIARY, MARKWEST ENERGY APPALACHIA, LLC (MAR WEST ENERGY APPALACHIA), IN THE GLOBAL SETTLEMENT CURRENTLY BEING NEGOTIATED WITH MARKWEST ENERGY AND ITS CORPORATE PARENT, MPLX, L.P., AS WELL AS 12 MARKWEST ENERGY SUBSIDIARIES (COLLECTIVELY REFERRED TO AS MARKWEST) BY DOJ ON BEHALF OF EPA REGION 3, 4, 5, AND 6. EPA REGION 5 IS THE LEAD REGION IN THIS SETTLEMENT. REGOIN 4 IS NOT REFERRING ANY SPECIFIC CAA CLAIMS AGAINST MARKWEST AT THIS TIME, BUT IS REFFERRING THESE FACILITIES FOR PURPOSE OF INCLUSION IN THE SETTLEMENT. THIS MULTI-REGIONAL CASE IS PART OF THE EPA'S NATIONAL ENFORCEMENT INITIATIVE: ENSURING ENERGY EXTRACTION ACTIVITIES COMPLY WITH ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS (INITIATIVE). A CIVIL CASE AGAINST MARKWEST WAS PREVIOUSLY REFERRED TO DOJ BY EPA REGION 5 ON SEPTEMBER 23, 2015. THE REGION 5 REFERRAL ALLEGED VIOLATIONS OF THE CAA AND NEW SOURCE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS (NSPS) REGS THAT PRIMARLY GOVERN LEAK DETECTION AND MONITORING OF VOCs FROM ONSHORE NATURAL GAS PROCESSING PLANTS AND SYNTHETIC ORGANIC CHEMICALS MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, 40 CFR PART 60, SUBPARTS KKK, VV, Va AND OOOO. MARKWEST IS A LEADING PROVIDER OF MIDSTREAM SERVICES IN THE NATURAL GAS INDUSTRY, WHICH INVOLVE GATHERING, COMPRESSING, TREATING, PROCE