Projects designed to help Murphy Oil in Superior meet new federal standard to reduce pollutants in fuel get a public hearing.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is seeking public comment on an air pollution permits that will allow for construction of benzene splitter, additional railcar load out facilities and modifications to refining process units at Murphy Oil's Superior refinery.
"Starting in 2011, the new federal rules require the benzene content of gasoline to be reduced," said refinery manager Dave Podratz. "In order to comply with those rules, we're going to build a benzene splitter."
He said the tower would fractionate the benzene and destroy it in another unit, allowing the refinery to meet the new federal standards.
Other projects planned at the refinery are designed to help the company meet new sulfur standards on diesel fuels.
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"We're not sure that what we do is going to be able to treat everything that we produce here," Podratz said. "So we may be in a situation where we have to export some higher sulfur material as opposed to treating it so we're putting in the rail facilities so should we need to sell some of that stuff, we can put it on rail cars and move it out."
The modifications being made to the refining processes are being made to deal with diesel fuel standards, he said.
The DNR has made a preliminary determination that the application meets state and federal air pollution control requirements and the permit allowing construction should be approved.
The permit application, DNR's analysis and draft permit are available for public review at DNR offices in Madison and Superior, and at the Superior Public Library, or contact Steven D. Dunn at (608) 267-0566 or steven.dunn@wisconsin.gov . The information is also available online at http://dnr.wi.gov/air/permits/permitsearch.html .
Send comments to Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Bureau of Air Management, 101 S. Webster St., Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707-7921, attention Steven Dunn.
A public hearing has been scheduled for 1 p.m. June 17 at the Superior Public Library, 1530 Tower Ave.
