EPA Fines American GreenFuels $143K for Air Violations

SECAUCUS, NJ (DTN) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced an agreement with American GreenFuels that will require the company to pay a $143,000 penalty for allegedly failing to comply with the Clean Air Act over a two-year period at the biodiesel producer’s facility in New Haven, Connecticut.

The EPA, in a statement issued Friday (9/26), determined the facility — which converts used cooking oil and animal fats into biofuel — was not properly operating to control the release of air pollutants between August 2020 and August 2022.

Specifically, American GreenFuels failed to adequately manage the release of volatile organic compounds during system repairs and maintenance, according to the EPA’s investigation, which included facility inspections.

American GreenFuels will pay the $143,000 penalty to resolve the alleged violations and the facility is now in compliance with the law, the EPA said.

The enforcement action highlights ongoing scrutiny of industrial air quality compliance in the biofuel sector. Volatile organic compounds are a significant contributor to ground-level ozone, and the agency is signaling a commitment to policing emissions that directly impact the health of local communities.