By Hannah Grover, City Desk ABQ
New Mexico may receive nearly $48 million from a natural gas company that allegedly violated permitted emissions limits.
Targa Northern Delaware, LLC, a subsidiary of Houston, Texas-based natural gas firm Targa Resources Corp, is the latest in a string of companies to face fines from the New Mexico Environment Department. Many of the other companies reached settlement agreements with the department.
The Environment Department issued an administrative compliance order on Dec. 6, fining Targa $47.8 million for the alleged violations. The money from the fine will go to the state’s general fund.
According to the department, Targa far exceeded its permitted emissions over the course of several years at the Red Hills Gas Processing Plant near Jal. The state has ordered Targa to immediately cease its excess emissions at Red Hills and to take steps to prevent those emissions from occurring in the future.
“When the New Mexico Environment Department issues you a permit, it is a legally binding agreement to protect the health of New Mexicans,” Department General Counsel Zachary Ogaz said in a press release. “If you violate your permit by failing to effectively invest in compliance, we will hold you accountable.”
The Environment Department has ordered Targa to complete 16 projects, initiatives and improvements that will cost $140 million. These are actions that Targa has proposed.
According to the Environment Department, while Targa’s facility was allegedly emitting more than permitted, the air quality monitors near Jal registered rising ozone concentrations that exceeded 95% of the federal ozone standard of 70 parts per million. The environment department is required to take action to reduce ozone pollution when counties exceed 95% of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone. High ozone levels can worsen respiratory conditions such as asthma.
Targa is not solely responsible for those high ozone levels in Lea County. Ozone is formed when volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides react with sunlight. Even vehicle traffic can lead to ozone formation. But, according to the department, the excess emissions from Red Hills led to nearly 2 million pounds of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, volatile organic compounds and hydrogen sulfide entering the atmosphere in excess of what Targa is permitted to emit.
Ozone formation is not the only reason state officials are concerned about the excess emissions. Moderate to high amounts of hydrogen sulfide, sometimes called swamp gas, can lead to vomiting, loss of consciousness, seizures, coma or death.
The emissions also included methane — a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. According to the Environment Department, Red Hills released an estimated 7 million pounds of methane into the atmosphere.