The Lima refinery will be paying millions of dollars in penalties and upgrades for violations of the Clean Air Act. The U.S. Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency announced a settlement with Cenovus Energy to pay 19 million dollars in civil penalties for benzene and volatile organic compound emissions. The energy company must also implement an estimated 150 million dollars in capital improvements to reduce emissions of benzene by 4.3 tons per year, other hazardous air pollutants by 16 tons per year, and other volatile organic compound emissions by 219 tons per year.

You couldn’t have found a better day to get outside and take a run or a walk, But the Allen Soil and Water Conservation District also wanted people to think about how their action can affect the environment.   The organization celebrated “Stormwater Awareness Week” with a Fun Run along the Ottawa Riverwalk.   Walkers or runners could travel up to five miles along the path that follows the Ottawa River.  This week, they wanted people to realize what goes into storm drains could end up in the river, like pollutants.  The conservation district handed out kid friendly information to area 3rd graders, about how that can happen and effect the environment, and adding the walk helps drives that point home.