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 $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 caused by negligence and the company’s history of violations. These are the nine companies that incurred violations resulting in penalties of $2,500 or greater in March: COMPANY: Mobil Oil Corp.,Torrance TYPE OF BUSINESS: Refinery PENALTY: $65,000 VIOLATION: Public nuisance violation from excessive volatile organic compound emissions. *COMPANY: Northrop Corp., Hawthorne TYPE OF BUSINESS: Aerospace firm PENALTY: $35,000 VIOLATION: Excessive reactive organic compound emissions from using a solvent in excess of the limit stated on its permit to operate. COMPANY: Plastics Research Corp., Santa Fe Springs TYPE OF BUSINESS: Fiberglass container maker PENALTY: $9,600 VIOLATION: Excessive volatile organic compound emissions contrary to permit conditions, failure to maintain daily records of materials used. *COMPANY: BKK Corp., West Covina TYPE OF BUSINESS: Municipal landfill PENALTY: $8,000 VIOLATION: Releasing excess emissions from a landfill. *COMPANY: Rykoff-Sexton Inc., Los Angeles TYPE OF BUSINESS: Food distribution firm PENALTY: $4,500 VIOLATION: Failure to submit an updated ride-sharing plan. The company will also spend an additional $74,500 to lease, operate and maintain two shuttle vans over a one-year period to accommodate its ride-sharing participants. *COMPANY: Pep Boys, Vernon TYPE OF BUSINESS: Automotive parts retailer PENALTY: $4,000 VIOLATION: Failure to submit an updated ride-sharing plan, failure to implement or monitor incentives outlined in its AQMD-approved plan. *COMPANY: Bergen Brunswig Corp., Valencia TYPE OF BUSINESS: Pharmaceutical manufacturer PENALTY: $3,500 VIOLATION: Failure to submit an updated ride-sharing plan, failure to implement or monitor incentives outlined in its AQMD-approved plan. *COMPANY: Industrial Steel Treating Co., Huntington Park TYPE OF BUSINESS: Heat-treating service PENALTY: $3,000 VIOLATION: Failure to keep daily records, installing and operating equipment without a permit, using a solvent with a volatile organic compound content that exceeds AQMD allowances. *COMPANY: Powerline Oil Co., Santa Fe Springs TYPE OF BUSINESS: Refinery PENALTY: $3,000 VIOLATION: Exceeding allowable limits for loading rack back pressure.