Georgetown, South Carolina Chemical Plant to Address Clean Air Act Violations Under Settlement
COLUMBIA, SC (May 3, 2023) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) have reached a settlement with 3V Sigma USA, Inc. for allegedly violating the federal Clean Air Act at its chemical manufacturing facility in Georgetown, South Carolina. Under the settlement, the company will pay a $731,250 civil penalty and spend an estimated $3 million to strengthen leak detection and repair practices to reduce emissions of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) at the Georgetown facility.
“Residents of Georgetown will be better protected from hazardous air pollution as result of EPA’s action,” said EPA Region 4 Administrator Daniel Blackman. “Besides improving air quality in Georgetown, the settlement also sends a strong message to other companies throughout the Southeast to comply with environmental laws.”
The settlement was filed today along with a complaint that alleges the company violated the Clean Air Act’s requirements for miscellaneous organic chemical manufacturing resulting in excess emissions of HAPs to the atmosphere. These include leak detection and repair requirements, requirements to control emissions from storage tanks and requirements to identify and control wastewater streams.
The compliance measures required under the consent decree will reduce HAP emissions by approximately 12 tons per year. HAPs found at the 3V facility include xylene, methanol, methylene chloride and acrylic acid. Exposure to these substances may cause cancer, blindness, difficulty breathing and impairment of the kidneys and lungs.
The consent decree, lodged with the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina in Charleston, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval.
The consent decree will be posted here