EPA Approves Lupton Facility Permit, New Equipment Allowed, Emissions Limited

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 9 finalized Permit C 2025 6 on November 18, 2025 authorizing construction and operation activities at the Lupton Facility located near Exit 359 on I 40, along Grant Road in Lupton. The permit covers the portion of the facility that sits within the Navajo Nation reservation and approves new equipment tied to a hydrotreating process, while allowing continued operation of certain existing process units.

The approved work includes a hydrotreater flare, a vapor combustion unit, a new cooling tower, two propane fired process heaters, a propane vaporizer, six new aboveground volatile organic liquids storage tanks with internal floating roofs, additional fixed roof tanks, a new underground storage tank for oily water separation, and a new gasoline loading rack. The administrative record and technical support documents filed with the permit show the modification produces modest increases in allowable annual emissions as examples, about 5.02 tons per year of volatile organic compounds, about 8.13 tons per year of nitrogen oxides, and about 9.81 tons per year of carbon monoxide. Total allowable emissions after the modification are listed in the documents, including volatile organic compounds at about 65.05 tons per year.

A public comment period on the draft permit ran from September 29 to October 30, 2025. One comment was submitted and is noted as having been addressed in the administrative record accompanying the final permit. The notice also explains permit appeal rights, including a 30 day window to petition the Environmental Appeals Board, and states that the permit becomes effective 30 days after service unless an appeal results in a stay.

For Apache County residents the decision raises practical questions about air quality, traffic and industrial activity along the I 40 corridor, and the balance between economic activity and community health. The project sits on reservation land which highlights the federal role in permitting and the importance of coordination with tribal authorities and community stakeholders. Those concerned about environmental impacts or compliance may consult the EPA Region 9 permit page and the Regulations.gov docket EPA R09 OAR 2023 0411 for the full administrative record and contact information.

Local leaders and residents will likely watch implementation closely as construction and new operations proceed, and the appeals period offers a formal avenue for administrative review under federal procedures.