Top 1990 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 20 highest penalties in 1990: COMPANY: Lockheed Aeronautical Systems Burbank TYPE OF BUSINESS: Aerospace firm PENALTY: $1 million VIOLATION: Multiple violations involving inadequate record-keeping in its alternative emissions control plan at its Palmdale, Rye Canyon and Burbank facilities. COMPANY: Southern Pacific Transportation Bloomington TYPE OF BUSINESS: Railroad PENALTY: $425,000 VIOLATION: Excessive visible emissions from locomotives traveling throughout Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. COMPANY: Somitex Prints of California City of Industry TYPE OF BUSINESS: Custom dyer PENALTY: $250,000 VIOLATION: Somitex paid a $50,000 cash penalty for altering duct work without a permit; operating machinery contrary to permit, and using dye exceeding volatile organic compound limits. It also agreed to install $200,000 worth of emissions control equipment. COMPANY: Hillside Oil Partners Santa Clarita TYPE OF BUSINESS: Crude oil producer PENALTY: $200,000 VIOLATION: Company paid a $114,000 cash penalty for excessive hydrocarbons from operating tanks without a vapor recovery system. They also agreed to spend an additional $86,000 on emission-reducing equipment. COMPANY: Chevron U.S.A. El Segundo TYPE OF BUSINESS: Oil refinery PENALTY: $174,500 VIOLATION: Failure to repair leaky valves; operating surge and waste water tanks contrary to permit conditions. COMPANY: American Racing Equipment Rancho Dominguez TYPE OF BUSINESS: PENALTY Aluminum wheels maker: $150,000 VIOLATION: Excessive hydrocarbons from spray painting operations and from liquid coatings and solvents. COMPANY: L.A. Bureau of Sanitation Los Angeles TYPE OF BUSINESS: Municipal government PENALTY: $150,000 VIOLATION: At the Lopez Canyon landfill: excavation of an active landfill without a permit; public nuisance violation due to landfill gas emissions; escape of raw gases from landfill gas collection system; faulty landfill flares; failure to cover and immediately repair areas of excessive methane gas concentrations. Penalty will be put in a special fund for a hazardous waste pickup program. COMPANY: San Bernardino County Dept. of Solid Waste Management San Bernardino TYPE OF BUSINESS: County government PENALTY: $150,000 VIOLATION: At the Fontana, Milliken and Colton landfills: public nuisance violation due to odors; failure to install a landfill gas control system. The penalty has been earmarked for development of a county-wide recycling program. COMPANY: Metal Container Corp. Riverside TYPE OF BUSINESS: Beverage lid manufacturer PENALTY: $110,000 VIOLATION: Excessive hydrocarbons from solvents and lubricants used in conversion presses. COMPANY: Hitachi Consumer Products of America Anaheim TYPE OF BUSINESS: Electronic products manufacturer PENALTY: $100,000 VIOLATION: Hitachi paid a $70,000 cash penalty for failing to submit an AQMD-approved ride-sharing plan in a timely manner. The company also agreed to add $30,000 in employee incentives to its ride-sharing plan. COMPANY: Fleetwood Enterprises Riverside TYPE OF BUSINESS: Mobile and motor home manufacturer PENALTY: $75,000 VIOLATION: Excessive hydrocarbons from coating operations; failure to install a vapor recovery system on gasoline equipment. COMPANY: SuperShuttle Los Angeles TYPE OF BUSINESS: Airport ground transportation system PENALTY: $75,000 VIOLATION: For failing to submit an AQMD-approved ride-sharing plan, the firm agreed to retrofit 25 vans to run on clean-burning propane fuel at a cost of $75,000. COMPANY: Madison Industries Los Angeles TYPE OF BUSINESS: Metal canopies and metal buildings manufacturer PENALTY: $74,200 VIOLATION: Madison paid a $60,000 cash penalty for excessive hydrocarbons from paint and solvent usage and failure to maintain daily usage records. The company also agreed to install a compliance tracking program at a cost of $14,200. COMPANY: Prestige Stations Cerritos TYPE OF BUSINESS: Gasoline storage and dispensing facility PENALTY: $65,000 VIOLATION: Failure to properly maintain vapor recovery equipment; failure to pay permit fees at various gas stations. COMPANY: Shell Oil Co. Carson TYPE OF BUSINESS: Refinery PENALTY: $61,000 VIOLATION: Filling a tank with oil without an adequate seal; failure to obtain a permit to construct a seal replacement; public nuisance violation due to odors. COMPANY: Ralph M. Parsons Co. Pasadena TYPE OF BUSINESS: Engineering and construction firm PENALTY: $60,500 VIOLATION: The company paid a $500 cash penalty for failing to submit an AQMD-approved ride-sharing plan and agreed to purchase four additional vans for its van-pool program at a cost of $60,000. COMPANY: Southwest Aerospace Corp. Santa Ana TYPE OF BUSINESS: Aerospace firm PENALTY: $60,000 VIOLATION: Using a photochemically reactive solvent in a spray-painting booth in violation of permit conditions. COMPANY: J & Y Welding & Iron Works Los Angeles TYPE OF BUSINESS: Wrought iron fence and door manufacturer PENALTY: $55,000 VIOLATION: Excessive hydrocarbons; operating spray-painting booth contrary to permit; failure to achieve required paint transfer efficiency. COMPANY: Gatx Terminals Corp. Carson TYPE OF BUSINESS: Tank storage terminal PENALTY: $50,000 VIOLATION: Excess hydrocarbons from operating crude oil tanks without vapor recovery system; faulty seals on tanks. COMPANY: Thrifty Oil Co. Downey TYPE OF BUSINESS: Gasoline storage and dispensing facility PENALTY: $42,000 VIOLATION: Failure to properly maintain vapor recovery equipment on gas pumps; failure to provide proof of calibration on gas pumps.