HÅGAT, Guam – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a settlement with Tristar Terminals Guam, Inc., over Clean Water Act violations for unauthorized discharge of oily wastewater into the Big Guatali River. This river flows into Apra Harbor.
Under the settlement, Tristar Terminals must improve oil water separation processes, perform effluent monitoring, and update their Pollution Prevention Plan to improve operations and maintenance at the petroleum storage facility in Hågat.
“Under the Clean Water Act, companies must improve their facilities to prevent oily wastewater from polluting waterways in Guam,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “This Order will stop contamination from reaching vital Guam water resources.”
In 2023, an EPA and a Guam EPA inspector performed an on-site inspection of the Tristar facility and found that an unauthorized discharge of oily wastewater had reached the Big Guatali River.
EPA observed that the facility had not properly operated and maintained treatment units, including the Oil Water Separator, which led to inadequate treatment and excess oily wastewater leaving the facility.
Under the Order, Tristar has agreed to:
- Upgrade and/or replace the Oil Water Separator treatment unit to meet industry design standards
- Clean all treatment units of oily waste materials
- Increase the height of a treatment unit berm to prevent future discharges directly into the Big Guatali River
- Perform effluent monitoring of new Oil Water Separator to ensure compliance
- Update Pollution Prevention Plan to improve operations and maintenance of all treatment units
Tristar Terminals Guam, Inc. owns and operates the over 200-acre facility where it receives, stores, and distributes fuels in over 20 fuel storage tanks. The facility receives, stores, and distributes gasoline, A1 jet fuel, liquefied petroleum gas, Number 5 residual fuel oil, and ultra-low sulfur fuel oil.
EPA’s proposed settlement with Tristar Terminals Guam, Inc. addresses the violations found at the facility.
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