Top Air Pollution Penalties

The South Coast Air Quality Management District has responsibility to control air pollution. It can seek 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 March: COMPANY: Van Doren Rubber Co., Orange TYPE OF BUSINESS: Athletic shoe maker PENALTY: $32,000 VIOLATION: Modifying and operating three vulcanizers without permits to construct and operate, exceeding usage limits for two rubber mixing units by exceeding three-ton-per-day material usage limit contrary to permit conditions, excessive hydrocarbons from use of the solvent hexane for three vulcanizing units, exceeding permit conditions. COMPANY: Waterfront Construction, J.A. Jones Construction, Carlacio Landscape, Newport Beach TYPE OF BUSINESS: Construction firms PENALTY: $15,000 VIOLATION: Dust blown into a trailer park during construction, failure to prevent dust from blowing on roadways, public nuisance violation for allowing fertilizer and dirt to blow onto trailer park homes and property. COMPANY: Singer Co., Librascope Corp., Glendale TYPE OF BUSINESS: Alodine etching operator PENALTY: $10,000 VIOLATION: Failure to obtain permits to operate two surface preparation chemical process lines. COMPANY: C-Stars Marketing Resources, Riverside TYPE OF BUSINESS: Gas stations PENALTY: $7,500 VIOLATION: Failure to pay annual permit fees for five stations in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. COMPANY: Construction Environmental Services, Apple Valley TYPE OF BUSINESS: Construction firm PENALTY: $5,000 VIOLATION: Failure to monitor excavated material for volatile organic compound contamination, failure to properly cover the contaminated soil. COMPANY: Groundwater Resources, Bakersfield TYPE OF BUSINESS: Underground storage tank remover PENALTY: $5,000 VIOLATION: Failure to obtain permit to handle potentially contaminated soil, failure to have monitoring device on Glendale site during soil removal process. COMPANY: Chevron U.S.A., El Segundo TYPE OF BUSINESS: Refinery PENALTY: $4,500 VIOLATION: Briefly exceeding 500 parts per million limit of sulfur dioxide at its sulfur recovery unit. COMPANY: Kona Lanai Garden Apartments, Whittier TYPE OF BUSINESS: Residential apartments PENALTY: $4,000 VIOLATION: Improperly handling materials containing asbestos during demolition and removal of fire-damaged apartment units, not providing asbestos abatement training for supervisors and workers. COMPANY: Lynx Golf Co., Industry TYPE OF BUSINESS: Golf equipment PENALTY: $4,000 VIOLATION: Failure to submit an AQMD-approved ride-sharing plan. COMPANY: Norwalk Community Hospital, Norwalk TYPE OF BUSINESS: Hospital PENALTY: $4,000 VIOLATION: Failure to submit an AQMD-approved ride-sharing plan.