Top Air Pollution Penalties

The South Coast Air Quality Management District has responsibility to control air pollution. It can seek court-imposed fines against polluters of from $25 to $25,000 a day based on such factors as the extent that emissions exceed legal limits, potential danger to the public, whether the violation was intentional, accidental or due to negligence and the company’s history of violations. These are the 10 top penalties in February: COMPANY: John W. Parker & Assn. Paramount TYPE OF BUSINESS: Construction equipment manufacturer PENALTY: $263,000 VIOLATION: Excessive hydrocarbons from coating and solvent usage; failure to maintain adequate daily usage records. COMPANY: Martin Brass Foundry Torrance TYPE OF BUSINESS: Brass castings manufacturer PENALTY: $15,000 VIOLATION: Excessive dust emissions from a furnace; public nuisance violation due to excessive lead particulate emissions; endangering the health of the public. COMPANY: Petrolane-Lomita Gas Co. Long Beach TYPE OF BUSINESS: Gas treating facility PENALTY: $15,000 VIOLATION: Public nuisance violation due to hydrogen sulfide odors. COMPANY: Custom Lithogram Los Angeles TYPE OF BUSINESS: Printing facility PENALTY: $12,500 VIOLATION: Excessive hydrocarbons from lithographic equipment operation. COMPANY: Kenneth Harper & Assoc. Costa Mesa TYPE OF BUSINESS: Underground storage tank degassing contractor PENALTY: $12,000 VIOLATION: Failure to provide proper notification prior to conducting a degassing operation; operating underground storage tank degassing equipment contrary to permit conditions. COMPANY: Albright & Wilson Americas Inc. Los Angeles COMPANY: Evergreen International Corp. San Pedro COMPANY: Metropolitan Stevedore Co. Wilmington TYPE OF BUSINESS: Chemical manufacturer, shipping firm, cargo contractor PENALTY: $10,000 VIOLATION: Public nuisance violation due to toxic chemical odors. The three firms shared the $10,000 fine. COMPANY: McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Co. Culver City TYPE OF BUSINESS: Aerospace firm PENALTY: $10,000 VIOLATION: Excessive hydrocarbons from spray-painting operations. COMPANY: Barron Anodizing & Paint Burbank TYPE OF BUSINESS: Metal finishing firm PENALTY: $9,000 VIOLATION: Failure to maintain adequate hydrocarbon emissions records for spray-painting booths. COMPANY: Hydro-Fluent Inc. Irvine TYPE OF BUSINESS: Degassing company PENALTY: $8,400 VIOLATION: Excessive hydrocarbons; operating an underground storage tank degassing system contrary to permit conditions. COMPANY: San Diego Pipeline Co. Orange TYPE OF BUSINESS: Gasoline bulk loading facility PENALTY: $8,000 VIOLATION: Failure to properly maintain vapor recovery equipment; periodically operating without an incinerator, in violation of permit conditions; failure to submit source test results in a timely manner.