TOP AIR POLLUTION PENALTIES

The South Coast Air Quality Management District has responsibility to control 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, accidental or due to negligence and the company’s history of violations. These are the 10 highest penalties paid in August: COMPANY: Gregory & Cook Inc. (of Houston, Texas) Indio, Thermal projects TYPE OF BUSINESS: Earth-moving equipment operator PENALTY: $50,000 VIOLATION: Excessive fugitive dust emissions, entering the atmosphere beyond the property line, during installation of pipeline and grading of a railroad bed COMPANY: Unocal Corp. Wilmington TYPE OF BUSINESS: Refinery PENALTY: $27,250 VIOLATION: Excessive odors and emissions exceeding opacity limits; numerous violations of permit conditions COMPANY: Texaco Refining & Marketing Inc. Wilmington TYPE OF BUSINESS: Refinery PENALTY: $10,000 VIOLATION: Operating cogeneration turbines without a water injection system to reduce emissions COMPANY: Texaco Refining & Marketing Inc. Wilmington TYPE OF BUSINESS: Refinery PENALTY: $10,000 VIOLATION: Black smoke from boiler stacks exceeding opacity limits COMPANY: Aelco Corp. Van Nuys TYPE OF BUSINESS: Collapsible metal tubes manufacturer PENALTY: $7,000 VIOLATION: Excessive hydrocarbons from paint fumes COMPANY: Industrial Asphalt Inc. San Juan Capistrano, Montclair sites TYPE OF BUSINESS: Asphalt batch plant PENALTY: $5,000 VIOLATION: Excessive particulate emissions; operating without a permit COMPANY: Shell Hossco Petroleum Woodland Hills TYPE OF BUSINESS: Service station PENALTY: $3,500 VIOLATION: Failure to maintain vapor recovery systems on gasoline pump nozzles COMPANY: Don Kott Ford Carson TYPE OF BUSINESS: Body shop PENALTY: $3,000 VIOLATION: Excessive hydrocarbons from solvent emissions; failure to obtain permits to operate spray painting booths COMPANY: Industrial Asphalt Inc. Rialto TYPE OF BUSINESS: Asphalt batch plant PENALTY: $2,800 VIOLATION: Operating underground asphalt tanks contrary to permit conditions COMPANY: Santa Anita Manufacturing Corp. Temple City TYPE OF BUSINESS: Cranes and hoists manufacturer PENALTY: $2,625 VIOLATION: Excessive hydrocarbons from paint fumes