BP (BP)

     The Clean Air Act and its regulations require, among other things, stringent air emission limits and operating permits for chemicals plants, refineries, marine and distribution terminals; stricter fuel specifications and sulphur reductions; enhanced monitoring of major sources of specified pollutants; and risk management plans for storage of hazardous substances. This law affects BP facilities producing, storing, refining, manufacturing and distributing oil and products as well as the fuels themselves. Federal and state controls on ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, benzene, sulphur, MTBE, nitrogen dioxide, oxygenates and Reid Vapor Pressure affect BP’s activities and products in the US. BP is continually adapting its business to these rules, which are subject to recent change. Beginning January 2006, all gasoline produced by BP was subject to the EPA’s stringent low-sulphur standards. Furthermore, by June 2006, at least 80% of the highway diesel fuel produced each year by BP was required to meet a sulphur cap of 15 parts per million (ppm) and 100% with effect from January 2010. By June 2007, all non-road diesel fuel production had to meet a sulphur cap of 500ppm and 15ppm by June 2012. With effect from January 2011, EPA’s Mobile Source Air Toxics regulations will require a refinery annual average benzene level of 0.62 volume percentage on all gasoline.
     The Energy Policy Act of 2005 also required several changes to the US fuels market with the following fuel provisions: elimination of the Federal Reformulated Gasoline (RFG) oxygen requirement in May 2006; establishment of a renewable fuels mandate (4 billion gallons in 2006, increasing to 7.5 billion in 2012); consolidation of the summertime RFG Volatile organic compound (VOC) standards for Regions 1 and 2; provision to allow the Ozone Transport Commission states on the east coast to opt any area into RFG; and a provision to allow states to repeal the 1psi Reid Vapor Pressure waiver for 10% ethanol blends.
     In 2001, BP entered into a consent decree with the EPA and several states that settled alleged violations of various Clean Air Act requirements related largely to emissions of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides at BP’s refineries. Implementation of the decree’s requirements continues.
     The Clean Water Act is designed to protect and enhance the quality of US surface waters by regulating the discharge of wastewater and other discharges from both onshore and offshore operations. Facilities are required to obtain permits for most surface water discharges, install control equipment and implement operational controls and preventative measures, including spill prevention and control plans. Requirements under the Clean Water Act have become more stringent in recent years, including coverage of storm and surface water discharges at many more facilities and increased control of toxic discharges. New regulations are expected during the next several years that could require, for example, additional wastewater treatment systems at some facilities.
     The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulates the storage, handling, treatment, transportation and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous wastes. It also requires the investigation and remediation of locations at a facility where such wastes have been handled, released or disposed of. BP facilities generate and handle a number of wastes regulated by RCRA and have units that have been used for the storage, handling or disposal of RCRA wastes that are subject to investigation and corrective action.
     Under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA or Superfund), waste generators, site owners, facility operators and certain other parties are strictly liable for part or all of the cost of addressing sites contaminated by spills or waste disposal regardless of fault or the amount of waste sent to a site. Additionally, each state has separate laws similar to CERCLA.
     BP has been identified as a Potentially Responsible Party (PRP) under CERCLA or otherwise named under similar state statutes at approximately 805 sites. A PRP or named party can incur joint and several liability for site remediation costs under some of these statutes and so BP may be required to assume, among other costs, the share attributed to insolvent, unidentified or other parties. BP has the most significant exposure for remediation costs at 52 of these sites. For the remaining sites, the number of parties can range up to 200 or more. BP expects its share of remediation costs at these sites to be small in comparison with the major sites. BP has estimated its potential exposure