Settlement with South Portland, Maine Semiconductor Manufacturer Will Reduce Hazardous Air Pollution
SOUTH PORTLAND, MAINE – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has settled an enforcement case with the Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation that resolves alleged violations of hazardous waste regulations at the company's semiconductor manufacturing facility in South Portland, Maine.
Under the settlement, Fairchild has agreed to maintain compliance with federal regulations issued under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) to reduce hazardous air pollutants and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emissions. Fairchild has certified that the facility has corrected its violations and agreed to pay a penalty of $104,545. The company was cooperative during EPA's enforcement investigation and the case settlement negotiations.
"This settlement results in improved air quality for the people of South Portland," said EPA New England Acting Regional Administrator Deborah Szaro. "It's important that companies that produce hazardous air pollutants during their operations follow the correct procedures to ensure they are properly managed under environmental regulations to mitigate potential risks to human health and the environment."
Fairchild's manufacturing processes generate liquid solvent wastes that can emit hazardous VOCs. The facility was storing solvent hazardous wastes in several tanks but had no RCRA air emissions compliance program in place for the tanks nor did it meet RCRA air requirements for labeling, monitoring, and recordkeeping for the various equipment associated with the tanks.
EPA discovered the violations after conducting a RCRA compliance inspection at Fairchild's facility. After the inspection, the facility dismantled a 5,500-gallon hazardous waste storage tank that was violating RCRA's air emissions regulations and instituted a RCRA air compliance program for its other tanks and equipment subject to these regulations.
This proposed settlement is part of an EPA National Compliance Initiative that focuses on RCRA air emissions to reduce hazardous air pollutants at hazardous waste-handling facilities. RCRA requires effective monitoring and control of air emissions from hazardous waste storage tanks, pipes, valves, and other equipment since these emissions can cause adverse health and environmental effects and can contribute to ground-level ozone (smog) formation.
More information on EPA's RCRA Air Emissions Enforcement: https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/epa-enforcement-alert-national-compliance-initiative-focus-rcra-air-emissions