ADEQ Issues Renewal For Yuma Co. Refinery

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) Director Steve Owens today announced that the department has issued a renewal of the air quality permit for the Arizona Clean Fuels (ACF) refinery proposed near Tacna in Yuma County.

ADEQ issued an air quality permit for the refinery last year. Under Arizona law, ACF had 18 months - until Nov. 2006 - to commence construction of the refinery or the permit would lapse. Earlier this year ACF advised ADEQ that the company was unable to commence construction by the deadline, & the company applied for a renewal of the permit.

"We are really just reissuing the same permit we issued last year," ADEQ Director Owens said. "It is still the toughest air quality permit ever crafted for a refinery."

Under the permit renewal, ACF is required to commence construction of the refinery within 18 months of the permit's effective date, which means that the new 18-month period ends during April 2008. It puts the same strict limits on potential emissions from the refinery as the previous permit. Like the previous permit, the renewed permit is good for 5 years.

The refinery would be located on approx., 1,450-acres near Tacna & could produce approx., 150,000 barrels per day of motor fuels, including approx., 85,000 barrels per day of motor gasoline, 35,000 barrels per day of diesel fuel & 30,000 barrels per day of jet fuel.