Flint Hills Resources may see a relaxation of required sulfolane cleanup levels at its North Pole refinery pending a new review by Alaska state regulators. The Anchorage Daily News reports Alaska’s top environmental official has sided with the company in a dispute with the state over the cleanup levels. Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Larry Hartig on Friday asked his department to revisit its November decision requiring sulfolane cleanup levels of 14 parts per billion at the site. Flint Hills in December argued that the state failed to take into proper consideration alternative cleanup level estimates made by a company consultant, the ADN reported. The company maintains the required cleanup level at the North Pole refinery should be 362 parts per billion.
Flint Hills in February announced it would shutter the refinery, partly due to high costs associated with groundwater sulfolane contamination the company blames on the facility’s previous owners. Flint Hills pays about $2 million per year to supply 312 homes affected by the contamination with alternate sources of water.
Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell has in recent months touted his own efforts to keep the refinery running, whether under Flint Hills or a different owner. He has asked the DEC to review its safe sulfolane benchmark, which has stood at 14 parts per billion since 2012.
