TOP AIR POLLUTION PENALTIES

The South Coast Air Quality Management District has responsibility for controlling air pollution in the area. It has the power to 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, the potential danger to the public, whether the violation was intentional or accidental and the company’s history of violations. These are the 10 highest penalties paid in August:

COMPANY TYPE OF BUSINESS PENALTY VIOLATION Paramount Petroleum Oil refinery $9,750 Excessive Paramount hydrocarbons; excessive visible emissions; operating equipment without a permit Southern Pacific Railroad $7,000 Excessive smoke Transportation Co. from diesel Los Angeles locomotives Chevron U.S.A. Oil producer $6,250 Excessive El Segundo, Inglewood and refinery hydrocarbons; sites excessive emissions of carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide Hughes Aircraft Co. Aerospace firm $6,000 Excessive El Segundo, Canoga hydrocarbons; Park, Fullerton, Irvine operating sites equipment without permits Avery International Label maker $5,375 Excessive Corp. hydrocarbons Rancho Cucamonga, from improper coating Monrovia sites operation; excessive carbon monoxide emissions; excessive odors; operating contrary to permit conditions; improper operation of an afterburner; failure to prevent fumes from evaporating Golden West Refining Oil refinery $5,250 Excessive gas and Co. smoke emissions; Santa Fe Springs excessive hydrocarbon vapors Liston Brick maker $5,000 Excessive smoke; Aluminum/Brick Co. excessive Corona dust and particulate emissions Avonite Corp. Polyester slab $5,000 Public nuisance Sylmar maker violations due to odors Bauchet International Mannequin $4,220 Excessive Corp. maker hydrocarbons Los Angeles from spray painting operation IR Construction Construction $3,600 Excessive Products Co. Inc. products hydrocarbons Los Angeles manufacturing