Equitrans failed to ensure that at least 39 of its natural gas-driven pneumatic controllers at 10 compressor stations in Ohio did not exceed the maximum natural gas bleed rates required by Subpart OOOOa, as applicable. We discovered these violations after reviewing Equitrans? annual Subpart OOOOa report submitted to EPA?s CEDRI database. Equitrans disclosed in its report that the 39 controllers had not met NSPS standards. Equitrans disclosed identical violations to Region 3 regarding 15 controllers in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Region 3 is resolving violations in its region with a separate CAFO.
This CAFO requires Equitrans to pay a penalty of $136,370 and resolves the FOV issued to Equitrans on February 28, 2022. There is no concurrent ACO, as Equitrans replaced the violative controllers with compliant models upon their discovery, which was prior to submittal of its annual Subpart OOOOa report.