Who Regulates Oil Refineries
The main force that regulates oil refineries is the Environmental Protection Agency due to the many harmful effects that refineries have on the environment. The first regulation that they impose is getting a permit to build the refinery. This permit is only issued by the EPA and government if the land that the refinery will be built on is suitable for the environment, animals, and surrounding neighborhoods in that area. It is very difficult to get a permit, and only has been filed since 1976. The refinery that is going to be built by the company Arizona Clean Fuels received their permit in 2005 after a 7-year process due to the lawmakers and environmentalists opposed to the refinery.
The Clean Air Act is the main reform by the EPA is the main regulation that refineries must face. It is a list of limits on the amount of emissions and harmful gases that the refineries can emit. If the refinery goes above the limit, they have to pay a large fine. The BP Texas refinery will have to pay a total of 3 billion dollars to compensate the victims and the EPA for the injuries and pollution cause by their hydrofluoric acid leak and subsequent refinery explosion. For a full list of regulations that the EPA places on refineries go HERE.