“That obviously
[was] not happening,” Valiulis said. In the first week of May, island residents endured the latest round of noxious fumes emanating from the plant, prompting several establishments, including three schools to shut down. The national guard then found elevated levels of sulfur dioxide – a harmful, toxic gas – near the refinery. Reuters reports Limetree Bay’s own testing found zero concentrations of the pollutant.
Earlier this week, on Wednesday, the refinery’s owners announced they were temporarily halting operations after a rapid series of accidents exposed neighboring communities to pollution.
But on Friday, the EPA, which said the company’s failure to properly operate pollution controls violated the Clean Air Act, told Limetree Bay to stay shut for 60 days “due to multiple improperly conducted operations that present an imminent risk to public health”.