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Environmental regulators in Delaware have fined the Delaware City Refinery $960,000 for releasing a toxic gas into the air for about three weeks in May.

The refinery in New Castle County released 745 tons of sulfur dioxide and more than 50 tons of oxides of nitrogen between May 7 and 30, according to the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.

The incident occurred when the refinery was repairing equipment designed to reduce pollution. It forced refinery operators to rely on secondary emission control methods that do not control sulfur dioxide. This switch caused the refinery to emit the air pollutants above permitted levels, according to DNREC’s notice.

Exposure to sulfur dioxide can cause breathing issues, and the emissions can further exacerbate respiratory conditions like asthma. Following the incident, DNREC said there was no public health threat because the pollution was dispersed into the atmosphere.

The refinery did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The facility can appeal the recent penalty within 20 days of the order.