By LEONARD GRAY

NORCO – Orion Refinery was served July 23 with a Notice of Violation from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency but local citizens did not learn of the notice until Aug. 12.

An Orion spokesperson said the matter was in the past and the EPA was working with the corporation to clean up the problems for 18 months.

The notice, from the EPA Region 6 office in Dallas, Texas, cited Orion for excessive flaring incidents, unpermitted emission units, failure to properly monitor leak detection equipment and exceeding permissable benzene release standards. The violations were based on inspections carried out in November 1999 and, according to Orion spokesperson, Joy Patin, those matters have been addressed and corrected.

The Concerned Citizens of New Sarpy group, joined by other environmental groups, joined to declare Orion “a dangerous element in the neighborhood, a thug lurking on the corner,” according to Ida Mitchell, vice president of the CCNS.

Earlier this year, Orion joined with local citizens to form a Community Advisory Panel, which most recently met July 25. At that meeting, Orion CEO Eric Bluth said Orion gave “the highest priority to the environmental concerns of local residents.”

The New Sarpy group learned of the July EPA notice during a recent meeting with EPA representatives, and CAP members were dismayed it took so long to make the notice public.

“It is interesting to note that a certified letter containing the Notice of Violation was delivered from EPA to Eric Bluth at Orion Refinery, and yet Orion Refinery has not communicated this to its neighbors or to our CAP panel,” said CAP member Don Winston. “If Orion truly wants to be a good neighbor, why withhold pertinent information?”

Patin said, “We are surprised and disappointed the EPA released this notice on matters that Orion believes have long since been addressed, and certainly do not represent current operations.”

The notice listed every tank and cited it as an unpermitted emission unit.

“That’s ridiculous,” Patin said. “We don’t know why this was done at this time, but we’ve been working on it. Orion disagrees with the allegations, but will continue to work with the EPA.”