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 January:

COMPANY: Hillside Oil Partners Santa Clarita TYPE OF BUSINESS: Crude oil producer PENALTY: $114,000 VIOLATION: Excessive hydrocarbons from operating tanks without a vapor recovery system; installing a vapor recovery compressor without a permit to construct. 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: Hamilton Fixtures West Brea TYPE OF BUSINESS: Shelf manufacturer PENALTY: $30,000 VIOLATION: Excessive hydrocarbons from paint usage. COMPANY: Lunday-Thagard Co. South Gate TYPE OF BUSINESS: Roofing company PENALTY: $20,900 VIOLATION: Excessive visible smoke emissions; failure to keep equipment in good operating condition. COMPANY: Fuqua Homes Inc. Corona TYPE OF BUSINESS: Mobile home manufacturer PENALTY: $20,000 VIOLATION: Failure to seek permits for paint spray guns; failure to maintain daily records for the use of paints and adhesives. COMPANY: General Electric Railcar Repair Services Corp. Mira Loma TYPE OF BUSINESS: Rail car maintenance firm PENALTY: $20,000 VIOLATION: Spray painting operations contrary to permit conditions. COMPANY: U.S. Borax and Chemical Corp. Wilmington TYPE OF BUSINESS: Chemical manufacturer PENALTY: $6,300 VIOLATION: Excessive carbon monoxide and particulate emissions from a borate spray dryer plant. COMPANY: Western Tube and Conduit Corp. Long Beach TYPE OF BUSINESS: Steel pipe manufacturer PENALTY: $6,000 VIOLATION: Excessive hydrocarbons from coatings and baking enamel used in spray painting and drying equipment. COMPANY: Digmor Equipment & Engineering Co. Redlands TYPE OF BUSINESS: Construction equipment parts manufacturer PENALTY: $5,000 VIOLATION: Failure to comply with permit restrictions for painting operations; failure to maintain daily paint usage records. COMPANY: American Racing Equipment Inc. Rancho Dominguez TYPE OF BUSINESS: Custom wheel manufacturer PENALTY: $4,000 VIOLATION: Operating an air atomizing gun contrary to permit conditions.