Air enforcement accomplishments, fiscal year 2003

2003 Quick Finder
Introduction to Enforcement Accomplishments , FY 2003	Air	Pesticides
Introduction to Enforcement Accomplishments , FY 2003	Land	Supplemental Actions
Emergency Response & Community Right-To-Know	Water	Criminal investigation

National Cement Co. of California Inc. paid $838,296 in penalties to settle violations of the Clean Air and Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Acts at the company's Lebec, CA cement plant. The company violated the air emission standards and notification and monitoring requirements of its EPA air permit. The company has since installed additional pollution control equipment and made other changes that have reduced its excess emissions by 225,000 lbs/yr nitrogen oxide (NOx), 18,000 lbs/yr sulfur oxides (SO2) and 2,600,900 lbs/yr carbon monoxide (CO.)

EPA fined Herman Goelitz, also known as the Jelly Belly Candy Co., $200,000 for failing to get an air permit when it expanded its Fairfield, CA facility during the mid-1990s. The company uses products that emit volatile organic compounds, a precursor to ozone (smog) formation, and has installed equipment to reduce emissions by 110,000 lbs/yr.

An Oakland, CA glass manufacturer, Owens Brockway Glass, paid $200,000 in penalties for air quality violations and took corrective measures to improve compliance. Glass manufacturing produces particulate emissions from raw materials that vaporize during the melting process and then condense in the exhaust stack. Particulate emissions can penetrate deep into people's lungs and cause respiratory problems.

EPA reached settlements with six companies for air emission violations-all six companies used halogenated solvents in their degreaser machines to clean parts.
- Advanced Materials Technologies Inc. of Tempe, AZ paid $62,500 and Industrial Coating and Plating of Phoenix paid $2,500 in penalties for air emission violations.
- The three companies in California, Advanced Coating and Silkscreening Inc.of Gardena, Shurco Tool Co., Inc., and Optical Components, Inc., of Covina, paid a total of $143,500 and must comply with air pollution laws to avoid releasing excessive toxic emissions.
- EPA has been working with California and Arizona authorities to ensure that facilities are complying with federal air standards for degreasers that use halogenated solvents.