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 last September: COMPANY: Texaco Refining and Marketing, Wilmington TYPE OF BUSINESS: Refinery PENALTY: $12,000 VIOLATION: Excessive reactive organic compound emissions from refinery equipment. COMPANY: Mansfield Plumbing, Industry TYPE OF BUSINESS: Plumbing fixture maker PENALTY: $10,000 VIOLATION: Violating permit conditions, failure to maintain equipment, failure to keep records. COMPANY: Powerine Oil Co., Santa Fe Springs TYPE OF BUSINESS: Refinery PENALTY: $10,000 VIOLATION: Black smoke emissions, excessive particulate matter from a stack. COMPANY: Kaiser International Corp., San Pedro TYPE OF BUSINESS: Cargo loading facility PENALTY: $6,000 VIOLATION: Failure to control dust emissions, permit violations during ship unloading at Port of Los Angeles. COMPANY: Mobil Oil Co., Torrance TYPE OF BUSINESS: Refinery PENALTY: $3,500 VIOLATION: Excessive reactive organic compound emissions from leaking valves. COMPANY: ARCO Products Carson TYPE OF BUSINESS: Refinery PENALTY: $3,000 VIOLATION: Multiple violations, including operating waste water separators contrary to emission rules, failure to maintain equipment, operating charcoal canisters without a permit. COMPANY: Southern Pacific Transportation Co., Bloomington TYPE OF BUSINESS: Railroad PENALTY: $3,000 VIOLATION: Black smoke emissions from a diesel engine between Cabazon and Banning. COMPANY: Southern Pacific Transportation Co., Bloomington TYPE OF BUSINESS: Railroad PENALTY: $3,000 VIOLATION: Black smoke emissions from two diesel engines in Beaumont. COMPANY: Southern Pacific Transportation Co., Bloomington TYPE OF BUSINESS: Railroad PENALTY: $3,000 VIOLATION: Black smoke emissions from two diesel engines in Beaumont. COMPANY: Southern Pacific Transportation Co., Bloomington TYPE OF BUSINESS: Railroad PENALTY: $3,000 VIOLATION: Black smoke emissions from two diesel engines in Beaumont.