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 November:
COMPANY: Yamaha Motor Corp., Cypress TYPE OF BUSINESS: Motorcycle distributor PENALTY: $50,000 VIOLATION: Failure to submit an AQMD-approved ride-sharing plan. An additional $100,000 will be spent on employee ride-sharing incentives beyond that required by its approved plan.
For the record:
12:00 a.m. April 16, 1992 For the Record
Los Angeles Times Thursday April 16, 1992 Home Edition Metro Part B Page 3 Column 3 Metro Desk 2 inches; 71 words Type of Material: Correction
Polluters: Because of an error by the South Coast Air Quality Management District, a Santa Fe Springs company was incorrectly identified in a chart published April 7 as having paid among the largest fines for air pollution violations during November. The chart should have listed Gardena-based Sonic Plating Co. Inc., an anodizing and plating plant, which was fined $10,000 for emitting excessive hydrocarbons from spray-painting operations. Sonic Plating Co. Inc. of Santa Fe Springs was not fined.
COMPANY: 20th Century Plastics, Los Angeles TYPE OF BUSINESS: Office products manufacturer PENALTY: $36,000 VIOLATION: Failure to submit an update of AQMD-approved ride-sharing plan and failure to implement incentives in the original plan. The money will be spent to buy two vans and institute an employee van pool program.
COMPANY: Prototype Concepts, Costa Mesa TYPE OF BUSINESS: Fiberglass fabricator PENALTY: $21,504 VIOLATION: Public nuisance violation for emitting glass fibers into the air. The money was spent to install a self-contained emissions control booth.
COMPANY: Sonic Plating, Santa Fe Springs TYPE OF BUSINESS: Anodizing and plating plant PENALTY: $10,000 VIOLATION: Excessive hydrocarbons from spray-painting operations.
COMPANY: ARCO/Prestige Stations, Carson, San Bernardino sites TYPE OF BUSINESS: Refinery, service stations PENALTY: $9,000 VIOLATION: Excessive hydrocarbons from gasoline transfer and dispensing violations.
COMPANY: Harkin Marketing, Chino TYPE OF BUSINESS: Service station PENALTY: $7,500 VIOLATION: Excessive hydrocarbons from de-gassing three 10,000-gallon underground gasoline tanks without pollution control equipment.
COMPANY: Houshang Tabrizi, Santa Ana TYPE OF BUSINESS: Union Oil dealer PENALTY: $7,500 VIOLATION: Failure to maintain gasoline dispensing equipment and operating without a permit at two service stations.
COMPANY: Custom Enclosures, Anaheim TYPE OF BUSINESS: Wood cabinet maker PENALTY: $5,000 VIOLATION: Excessive hydrocarbons from coating and solvent use, and dust emissions beyond its property line.
COMPANY: Aratex Services, Los Angeles TYPE OF BUSINESS: Industrial laundry PENALTY: $4,000 VIOLATION: Failure to obtain equipment permits. Money to be spent improving employee ride-sharing incentives.
COMPANY: Golden West Refining, Santa Fe Springs TYPE OF BUSINESS: Refinery PENALTY: $4,000 VIOLATION: Odors from a storage tank.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
