EPA finalized an Administrative Consent Order (ACO) for West Bay Exploration Company (West Bay), Traverse City, Michigan to address violations of 40 C.F.R. Part 70 requirements to obtain and operate in compliance with a Title V permit, and Michigan SIP requirements for submitting an application for a Permit to Install (PTI) at West Bay's Lantis 30 Facility in Napoleon Township, Jackson County, Michigan.
West Bay owns and operates an oil and natural gas production facility, constructed in 2009, which includes storage vessels for crude oil and produced water. EPA inspected West Bay's Lantis 30 facility in August 2014. Based on information submitted by West Bay in response to a subsequent Clean Air Act Section 114 request for information, EPA determined that the storage vessels at the Lantis 30 facility had the potential to emit at least 287 tons of VOC per year. Prior to EPA's inspection and information request, the Lantis 30 facility did not have an air permit of any kind.
West Bay obtained a permit to install (PTI) from MDEQ which includes the implementation of a preventative maintenance and malfunction abatement plan (PM/MAP) and reporting requirements. This ACO requires West Bay to perform monthly inspections of its storage vessel covers and closed vent system and submit reports of its inspections, consistent with its PM/MAP.
West Bay entered into a CAFO that requires West Bay to pay a penalty of $76,300, and resolves the NOV issued to West Bay on February 3, 2016.