ENVIRONMENT : Firm to Pay $485,000 for Toxic Chemical Emissions

A Toyota subsidiary in North Long Beach has agreed in an out-of-court settlement to pay $485,000 to the federal government for releasing toxic chemicals into the air in the 1980s.

TABC Inc., which assembles and paints truck beds, was accused of using paints and primers from 1984 to 1988 that violated Environmental Protection Agency emissions codes under the federal Clean Air Act, officials said. TABC, at 6375 Paramount Blvd., is owned by Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A.

According to the lawsuit, the company had been releasing an excessive amount of volatile organic compounds, which are byproducts of the painting process. EPA officials said the chemicals contribute to greater ground-level ozone, which has been linked to impaired breathing, irritated mucous membranes in the nose and throat, and may harm the immune system.

In addition to the fine, TABC will be required to certify compliance with air-quality regulations, which company officials said they have done since learning of the violations in 1988. EPA and Toyota officials said they agreed the company did not knowingly violate the regulations.

Toyota spokesman Michael Rouse said TABC assumed it was not breaking the law since it complied with California Air Quality Management District rules, which are usually stricter than EPA regulations.