Lower Valley Energy receives notice of violation from DEQ

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Lower Valley Energy, a utility company, and the Department of Environmental Quality have entered the settlement process over a non-compliant part at their natural gas compressor station in Sublette County. The DEQ discovered the infraction during a routine inspection last October, and issued a notice of violation this January. According to their permit, the station is supposed to be using an emissions control device but they’re using a boiler to route natural gas emissions. 

DEQ spokesperson, Keith Guille says that while volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, emissions are at an unacceptable level at the station, the situation is not an emergency.

“Obviously you’re going to have some venting of these VOCs, and that’s why we want to make sure you have the best control technology on these compressor stations to make sure that you reduce the amount of VOCs that are released,” said Guille.

The settlement process will determine what steps LVE needs to take to get back into compliance and whether or not any payments will need to be made to the state.